I Tried Mary Berry's Secret To The Best Stewed Apples, And I'm Sold

Cooking apple on the left. Stewing on the right with blackberriesBefore trying this highly recommended apple crumble cheesecake recipe by Jane’s Patisserie, I was left with a dilemma. In front of a cooking apple stand, I had a brain fog moment: I couldn’t remember whether I always bought too many or too few of the fruit for baking. So I erred on the side of caution, purchased 10, and needed two (there’s our answer).That meant I had a lot to stew, and fast. And seeing as I already trust Mary Berry for my bolognese, scones, tomato soup, and much more, I figured this was also a case for the former Great British Bake Off host.I followed her advice for the “classic” crumble filling and ended up with an almost caramel-like sauce, thanks to her tried and tested technique. It’s safe to say I’m a convert.Leftover cooking apples on the left. The completed apple crumble cheesecake on the right.How does Mary Berry make her stewed apples?She uses 175g light brown sugar to 1.5kg cooking apples (I love Bramleys) and – new to me – adds butter to the mix. She also includes two tablespoons of water, but I deviated from that because I wanted especially jammy, non-watery fruit.Like Mary, I peeled, cored, and “roughly chopped” my apples. Cut too finely, I find, apples disappear into a puree-like mush, which isn’t my preference. Then, I added them to my pan with butter, sugar, and cinnamon before turning the heat on medium. A couple of minutes later, the bottom had started to stew; don’t let the firm top apples fool you during the initial couple of minutes, as the lack of water won’t affect the juices from seeping out. Stirring also helps.Once these had been on the heat for about four minutes, I turned off the heat, put a lid on the pan, and let it sit for a further four minutes or so. Not only did the steam take the place of the water I’d decided not to add, but the jammy part of the non-chunky mixture felt thicker and less slippery. The butter had also made a caramel-like sauce when combined with the brown sugar; it tasted far more luxurious and even looked a little glossier than I was used to.Mary’s not the only one who uses the trick In a YouTube video, chef Gordon Ramsay shared that he makes (unpeeled) stewed apples by forming a caramel in his pan and then letting the chunks simmer in it.Only at the end does he add a little water to the delicious-looking, if not exactly traditional, mix. Personally, though, I haven’t found the addition of any liquid necessary at all. I haven’t had my fruit stick to a pan (it’s never hot enough to do that), and the juices only take a minute or so to get flowing. What I will take from both chefs, though, is the addition of dairy; it makes the whole thing more sumptuous and silkier. Related...Mary Berry's 'Posh' Secret To The Best Roasted VegetablesMary Berry's 1 Sneaky Secret Ingredient For The Best Tomato SoupMary Berry And Gordon Ramsay Both Use This Trick For Perfect Yorkshire Puddings

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