Here’s a lovely way to save some time when you prepare apples or Asian pears for canning. Use an apple peeler-corer (see mine at work here) to make beautiful coils of automatically-cored firm fruit. The swirly fruit looks fantastic in the jar, and packs in well for a nice, well-filled raw pack.
Don’t get too fussy about the end bits that never get peeled quite perfectly – they add to the charm when these jars are sitting on your shelf.
The fruit is all perfectly and evenly sliced right out of the jar.
It uncoils like a slinky – kids adore this part!
Out of the jar it’s lovely too.
I wish I could take credit for this fantastic fruit processing time-saver, but all credit goes to my friend Fruit Lady, who gleans, preserves and donates hundreds of pounds of neighborhood fruit every summer that would otherwise go to rot on people’s lawn. She hit upon the idea of using her apple peeler-corer when she was up to her ears in gleaned Asian pears and needed to get that fruit into jars and processing – fast.
I love the result and will be preserving pears this way myself this autumn. I do not know if the peeler-corer will work on teardrop-shaped European pears as well, but I intend to find out.
Would you can Swirly Fruit?
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How fun! I’ll totally try that next season.
Those little odd ends and bits of apple that don’t get peeled always go in my mouth. That is my perk for having to do all the canning!
This is NOT FAIR. I just survived almost (but not quite) unscathed through a round of tool temptation, and now you’ve got me coveting once again. Now that I’ve seen slinky apples, I don’t think I can live without them. Darn, darn, darn. Here comes the credit card.
Oh, good! I had been debating about whether or not to keep my old apple peeler…. Yep – you just saved it ! lol ! …. Now if my three asian pear trees will grow a little more 🙂 lol ….
How beautiful. I would definitely do this.
I am new to canning, and like Miser Mom, I’m trying not to buy any extraneous pieces until I know how committed I am to it, but now I WANT an apple peeler. Must.resist.temptation!
I have only used that for canning. I also use the peeler corer before making my crock pot apple butter. I am alllll about the lazy ways to get it done! 🙂
LOVE it! Especially for kids. Would I can swirly fruit? Nope, I’ld eat it first. Do I need another gadget? Nope, we’re trying to reduce … contemplating a year on the road in less than 200 sq-ft, so what comes with us and what goes into storage?
Absolutely!
I’d love the opportunity to use my apple peeler/corer for something other than apples, thereby justifying its existence. I get frustrated by single use kitchen tools.
Do you use it on other items also?
PS – My apple corer/peeler – still in a box (a very old box) was only $2 at a garage sale…
I have one of these gadgets and it is essential. I would not make the jars & jars of applesauce I make without it (ok, unless I had a victorio strainer but…the swirly corer was a LOT cheaper).
I agree, if you do a lot of apples every year or you make a lot of pies or applesauce, you definitely need one of these. I see them for sale all the time at yard sales and thrift stores. I remember my grandmother had one and she’d save a bowl of those long strings of apple peal for us. We called it apple spaghetti. It also makes drying apples quick and easy work.
I would definitely can this way. I’ll try it with asian pears and apples this year.
Oh WHY did I not think of this for drying apples….. LIGHTBULB on ! Duh! lol…
I’ve done this too. The only significant limitation I’ve found with this gadget is it doesn’t work as well if the fruit isn’t really firm/crisp.
This is brilliant! And I do so love the way it looks in the jar. I just got a handmedown apple peeler/corer from my grandmother and I’ll have to use it on these
LOVE my apple peeler. I have the Pampered Chef one with the stand. It’s great for anytime I want apples … apple pie, brown betty, etc … it also make fabulous curly fries out of potatoes … flip back the cutting blade and just peeling them is great too if you have a lot to do but don’t want them sliced!
Genius!
Thanks for making me spend more money! Lol. I love this idea….and after literally peeling two fingernails and cutting one very painfully, my hands will love the idea too!
So glad I found this page. My husband & I are heading out today to a U-Pick for peaches and Asian pears. I was going to peel and slice the asian pears by hand… totally forgetting I have an apple corer/slicer.. Awesome time saver ! And I LOVE how they look in the jar.. Thank you so much !!