Peeling apples in heaven
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Discoveries, Kitchen equipment | 20 comments
Photo: The Lakeland Apple Master
I’ve been trying to use up all the apples from our trees in the garden. Bottling with blueberries and blackberries, making apple chutney and apple sauce. I’m going to make apple butter and dry slices when the dehydrator eventually arrives.
I hadn’t realised that peeling, coring and slicing apples could be such a chore and take so long. I began to make excuses to avoid dealing with the windfalls.
“The chickens will love these apples and also the Min Pins.”
The flock and Min Pins chomped and chomped. But the bounty was so overwhelming that eventually even the animals were replete on the apple front.
Then one happy afternoon I was lolling in bed watching Dehydrate2Store videos on YouTube (still laid up – how my life has changed) and the lady demonstrated how to use an apple peeler. She turned the handle of this quaint looking gadget and within seconds the apple was peeled, sliced and cored. It looked so much fun that if I had one the chickens and Min Pins would never have a windfall proffered ever again. Apart from being offered the opportunity of devouring yards and yards of perfectly trimmed uniform peel.
So I had a quick foray on the internet expecting such an efficient machine to set me back a lot of dosh. Amazon have a good selection but Lakeland had the cheapest one that I could find. So I invested £12.99 and am delighted with my Apple Master. So is Danny. His neck revolved so fast as he watched the first apple go through its paces that he might be planning to sue for repetitive strain injury.
“Next to the dishwasher, this is a brilliant invention. It has that Ahhh, ‘ I don’t have to do that again factor’”.
It can also peel hard pears. The length of Lakeland peeler is quite short and as our pears are diminutive this is fine. A more substantial machine would probably be a better long term investment. But for the time being, I’m in love.
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Hi Belinda
That’s interesting, thank you. I don’t know how long my cheapy one will last. It’s certainly earning its keep at the moment. It’s so useful that I’d be happy to spend a lot more if I need a replacement one.
Hi there, I dont mean to rain on the parade Fiona, but not all of these work so well.
Our school canteen also had one & someone lost a vital peice of it & it need to be replaced. To cover the cost the school offered these for sale to all the parents, tacking on a dollar in the hopes of raising enough to pay for the new school apple slinky machine.
The new ones were slightly smaller than the orignal & they do not work nearly as well.The peeler often misses all together, and the blade is blunt already so it sometimes destroys the fruit.
Hi Toria
That’s such a sweet story about your son.
I had no idea that such a wonder existed. Now I couldn’t do without it!
Hi Susan
I thought that D might go crazy but he loves it and it means that he has apples to eat over the winter.
Hello Michelle
I love mine and it’s had a very hard workout for the last two days.
Hi Emma
Yes, I agree Lakeland has some great things. They’re a good reliable company.
Hello Michelle
I love this little device – it’s so clever and saves loads of time.
Hi Linda
Yes the long strands of apple peel were guzzled by our chickens too!
Hello Jo
Poor you, still battling with the effects of Swine Flu.
I went to the Lakeland shop in Cambridge once and had to be dragged away!
Crikey, I need one of those!
Mind you (as with our tardy blackberry harvest) we haven’t had a single windfall, yet; although the orchard trees are now groaning wih fruit & I have foraged a few sumptuously ripe plums as I’m loathe to lose them to the myriad wasps.
Looks like a bumper crop of sloes, too… 😉
Prior to moving here we lived in the Cotswolds. There was a superb Lakeland shop in (as I recall) Bibury; however I didn’t venture there too often as my purse strings would stretch further than miles & imagination would permit.
A few years down the line & the Lakeland catalogue is one of the most-prized items to plop into the postbox – plus thankfully you’ve just pointed out another ‘must-have’ from this clever kitchen company.
Know what you mean about the frustrations of languishing in ill health, BTW – I just can’t seem to shake off the aftermath of this wretched Swine Flu, several weeks after the initial onslaught. Just as I seem to be recuperating the work gets harder….& I get more tired, & yet more ill, as a frustrating result.
What a wretched year…in terms of weather & health, at least. Eugh.
I have one of these also and love it. I consider it a must if you preserve apples. It is such a time saver.
By the way, our girls (chickens) love the long strands of apple peels too.
What a glorious device! It looks like a Heath Robinson design yet is so effective.
Have fun cooking up all the apples you have left.
Michelle and Zebbycat xxx
Lakeland Plastics are good for so many useful items. Love your site and articles.
Aren’t they wonderful? I am not usually a big fan of gadgets that have one use, but we have access to so many apple trees, the time it saves me peeling, coreing and slicing makes the auto peeler priceless!
OMG! I had to read this post didn’t I? Now find another kitchen gadget that I want want want!
Daren’t tell hubs, he’ll go daft!
Those peelers are a fabulous invention. We found out about them when the school canteen got a couple & started offering the children apple slinky’s on the menu. My eldest (7 at the time) loved eating the apple slinky so much, he asked if he could buy one with his saved up pocket money. I wouldn’t be without it in the kitchen now.