How do you freeze apples without sugar?

Select full-flavored apples that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture. Wash, peel and core. Slice the medium apples into twelfths, the large ones into sixteenths. To prevent darkening, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle over the fruit. Fill freezer bags to a level of 3 to 4 inches from the tops, squeeze out the air, seal and label. (Treated apple slices also can be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen.)

Do you have instructions on how to make and can apple butter?

Yes. We have an excellent Preserving Apples bulletin available at K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County. In the bulletin, not only is there an Apple Butter recipe, but there are also instructions for other ways to preserve apples. Enjoy.

Apple Butter

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8 pounds apples (use Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious, MacIntosh or other tasty apple varieties for good results)

2 cups cider

2 cups vinegar

2 1/4 cups white sugar

2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cloves

Wash, remove the stems, and quarter and core the fruit. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft. Press the fruit through a colander, food mill or strainer. Cook the fruit pulp with the sugar and spices, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from the steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning. Fill sterile half-pint or pint jars with the hot product, leaving 1/4-inch head space. (To presterilize the jars, wash the jars and put them right-side up on a rack in a boiling water canner. Fill the canner and the jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil the jars for 10 minutes.) Quart jars need not be presterilized. Adjust the lids and process half-pints and pints for 5 minutes and quarts for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 8 to 9 pints.

Someone told me the other day that I am a restrained eater. I’ve never heard of that term before. What exactly is a restrained eater?

Do you count calories or fat grams of each and every food you eat? Do you agonize over everything you put in your mouth? Do you feel guilty when you break down and eat a forbidden food? Do you always feel fat even if you are not? If you do, you may be a restrained eater.

Restrained eaters are defined as those who do not listen to biological cues about hunger and satiety, but control food intake to lose weight or prevent weight gain. They may be normal weight, overweight or underweight. Some eliminate almost all fat from their diet. Others limit calories or skip meals, especially when they have over-eaten at a previous meal. Many have a “good food, bad food” mentality. They don’t have a clinical eating disorder  in fact their behavior is socially acceptable, so they are unlikely to seek professional help.

Is this kind of eating behavior bad?

Many studies have looked at this population of restrained eaters during the past 20 years. There seems to be two detrimental effects of this kind of eating. First, restraint does not lead to permanent weight loss and may even lead to binge eating and weight gain. Second, restrained eating may lead to more serious eating disorders.

Typically, when restrained eaters break their diets, they lose all control over eating. Some increase food intake after drinking alcohol, a classic disinhibitor. They increase food intake and weight gain when they have unpleasant emotions such as depression or anxiety. Other research has shown that restraint may lower the metabolic rate, thus lowering the amount of calories needed to maintain weight and leading to higher body mass index and weight gain.

 Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St. She can be reached at 843-7058.