Not to mention the pound and a half of budder

Paula Deane

To avoid the smell try to keep them away from water as much as possible during the cooking process. Steam them instead of boiling them - or even shred them and then stir-fry for a non-traditional approach!

That's what I've been told...still not the same as cooking apples. They are very sour and crisp...I suppose granny smith's are the nearest but you can't really compare them to British cooking apples.

JG, Granny Smiths were the English cookers, in my day anyway, the ones I get are tart and crisp.
I just wish we could get Coxes Orange Pippins, the greatest of the eating apples.

I buy mine from King's supermarkets...they used to be owned by M & S. They still sell some M & S products especially Christmas...mince pies and pud...and Easter.

Nope. Cooking apples are much bigger, darker green and they are usually an irregular round shape. They neither look or taste like Granny Smiths. Most people would have great difficulty eating a raw cooking apple without dipping it in loads of sugar...its like sucking on a lemon.

Coxes Orange Pippins

Real cooking apples.

A plague of locusts on your houses for mentioning those. I only just recently got used to Galas and Red Delicious...

Sorry, that's not right. English cooking apples are Bramleys. They are a very large green apple which can only be used for cooking. They are very sour even when ripe. I doubt that anyone could eat one raw.

The advantage of the Bramley is that it maintains it's texture when cooked. It does not go to mush.

They are so crisp that the sound of one being peeled makes my teeth itch. Rather like chalk on a blackboard.

we don't have a kings here. i've tried my wholefoods and central market but they look at me crazy when i ask for cooking apples...i like bramleys for cooking but i'd settle for the granny smiths as they are a bit tart and better imo for cooking than the other eating varieties.

lol only got one mincey left and that's for my elevenses today and then there will be no more until i go over early next month

Is that a minced pie? We have a family tradition for making our own mince, but we basically, only use it at Thanksgiving (sometimes) and Christmas. I think it wouldn't taste as good if I had it through the year. I don't have to make any mince this year, I have a large jar and a half left over from last year.

Evidently you haven't been out shopping recently!

Don't you know the "Holiday" Season has started?

Yes but we were talking mince pies. Prep for Christmas would start soon in our family, anyway. Christmas puds and cakes were made in early November. The mincemeat needs six or seven weeks to develop the taste as well.

Besides, I am a male, we shop as hunters, not gatherers. List what we want, go for it without looking sideways, except in the tool section of the hardware shop, but that is because we would like one of everything. Close to Christmas, prices come down. Early morning opening on a Saturday morning, home by nine AM, just have to wrap. Bob's your uncle.

nope, sorry i was referring to marks and sparks mince pies, mincey's for short. however mum used to make her own mince for the mince pies but i'm too lazy and leave it to marks and sparks

Love mince pies, can't wait for next month. I always do the fall decoration thing the second or so week of October and today seems the perfect day. A/C has been turned off as we have a 'cold front' in the house

Baked apples with loads of cinnamon and pouring custard on a cold winter evening..YUM.

You "always do the fall decoration thing" WTF - have you gone native???