- Prep Time: Picking Berries 1-2 hours, cleaning them 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: Bottling your Bakeapples only takes a few minutes
- Serving: For Family
Bakeapple Picking and Preserving - Traditional Newfoundland
Hi and welcome to our website!
If you are looking to go Bake Apple picking there is some things you need to know before you go, so take a few minutes to watch our short video tutorial.
Bakeapples are a small peach coloured berry that grows in the bog lands, marshes and wet meadows throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
I have some more berry recipes on my website from freshly picked berries, I will share the links with you.
Traditional Newfoundland Blueberry Jam
Traditional Newfoundland Partridgeberry Jam
Traditional Newfoundland Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Graham Crackers
I will also share with you a link to our cookbooks with some of your favourite recipes inside. https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook
So continue on to the method for preserving Bakeapples and some really cool tips on meal planning.
Ingredients
- Bakeapples - Lots
- Mason Jars and lids - As needed
- Cold Water - As needed
- Berry Picking Bucket
Instructions
Preserving Bakeapples:
1. Freshly picked Bakeapples.
2. Clean and remove steams from berries.
3. Sterilize mason jars with lids in hot water.
4. Separate riped and raw Bakeapples in different jars top with cold water, place lids on and tighten.
5. After all Bakeapples have been bottled label each one with the date and year, then store in a fridge or cold storage.
Please note: You can bottle part raw bakeapples and they will ripe in the bottles over time, when riped you can make all your favorite desserts and jams.
Bakeapples are a early berry they are ready to pick in late July and early August. There will still be a lot of raw berries among them but because these berries are hard to find you can’t leave any behind. You may have heard of the saying ” Its a will headen secret ” people don’t like to give up the place where they pick Bakeapples.
When picking Bakeapples you will most likely see this beautiful Newfoundland Picture Plant growing in the same bog and marsh lands. This is a picture of them they are a beautiful hearty flower that almost looks like a bake apple.
Some say Bakeapples can withstand cold temperatures down to as low as-40°c that’s cold. But they are very sensitive to dry conditions and salt, just a little tidbit of information.
I love making things from scratch, these pictures of Bakeapple tarts and jam say it all.
Most definitely you need to take total advantage of seasonal foods, berries, vegetables, seafood and so much more. The satisfaction you get from making your own food goes beyond words can say.
This is something you can do with your kids, even plan what night each person can have their favourite meal, I hope this little menu plan helps you get started on your homemade cooking plan.
Back to Bakeapples these delicious berries have a small stone on the inside and looks something like a raspberry but a peach. They can last for a long time preserved in cold water and kept in a cold place, then when you are ready to use them just drain the water off and enjoy fresh or cooked.
We like to thank each and everyone of you that have followed Bonita’s kitchen and enjoying our blog, from our kitchen to yours have a wonderful day.
Oh I love bakeapples picking ….been picking since I’m 7 I’m now 45 and still enjoy it
Hi Brenda: Thank you so much for your message and for sharing with us your story. I love picking any type of berry and going in the woods to smell the fresh air. Have a lovely day. Bonita
Thank you so much for this helpful post! I do have 2 questions regarding raw bakeapples:
1- Will the raw bakeapples ripe if they are left in the fridge in a plastic container with some cold water over them instead of preserved in a mason jar?
2- Approximately how long does it take for raw bakeapples to ripe in cold water?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Sophie: Thank you so much for your message and I’m glad you have some delicious bake apples. Sophie its best to put them in mason jars and have them sealed and kept in the fridge. The plastic container is only good if they are riped and you are going to use them within a week or so. The mason jar serves as a nest for the bake apples to continue ripening them, depending on how raw they are it will be three to four weeks, plus you can leave them in the bottle in the fridge for a year or more as a berry to use when you like to have them. I hope this helps and if you look at the bake apple jam recipe you will see the riped one. Have a lovely day and enjoy. 🙂 Bonita
Thank you for your quick reply Bonita! I will preserve them in mason jar instead and wait for them to ripe 🙂
You are very welcome and enjoy them when they ripe and for all your delicious desserts and jam. Have a lovely day…Bonita
I would love to buy some of these. Any way I can order them…..the preserves?
Hi Linda: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, we don’t sell our supplies only show you how to preserve and make recipes. We do have a cookbook for sale on https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook here in Newfoundland and Labrador you can buy bake apples in the stores bottled they are very costly but worth it for sure. Sometimes you can buy them at the farmers markets at the side of the road. Sorry about that but i do appreciate your message. 🙂 bonita
I use to pick baked apples as a child in New Brunswick Canada on whitehead island. W e always knew we were close you could smell sweet smell. Coming from the berries.
Nice! Hi Rose, that is so true the field smell amazing with those sweet and tart berries, I’m glad you stopped by and shared your lovely story with us. I love picking berries and making tasty berry desserts, or eating them in a bowl with a sprinkle of sugar. Stay safe and Happy New Year! Bonita
If the they are in cold water to get ripened how can you seal them to preserve them?
Hi Mary, thank you for your message and for stopping by, you don’t need to seal them but you do need to keep them in the fridge until eaten or cooked. This is just to keep them fresh and they will ripe if you have any raw ones. But if you have any concerns you can cook them and seal in a water bath. Enjoy Bonita
This post was made today…
“Carrie Magoon Banks
July 18 at 7:40 PM ·
Sorry to say there are no bakeapples to speak of on White Head this year. So will not be able to sell jam this summer.
Hopefully next year will be a good year.” 🙁
Oh boy thats not good, I hope it will change for you. I’m sure our bake apples are less this year because we haven’t had much rain. This have been the hottest summer in many years. Thank you Gery for sharing this post and I hope it will change for them.
Bonita
I am wondering how long bake apples in a sealed mason jar are good for? I just found a jar of them that is quite old. Can’t read the date but we’ll over a year? Would you think they are safe to make jam.
Hi Christine, Thank you for your message, bake apples are good for years in a mason jar. If they are sealed and stored properly they will stay good for years. They are only with water but are a very hardy berry, when you open them if they are bad it will be worked. What I mean by that is it will make a tissing sound when you open it, and be a smell. Enjoy your berries and message anytime. 🙂 Bonita