Apple Crumble

Where are you thinking of putting the lemon juice in the apple or the topping?

Have you tasted it? No good just guessing.

Having said that, I’ve just found a Mary Berry recipe online and if it’s the one you’re using, it’s a lot of sugar in the apples and not much in the crumble, so it might balance out.

I’d probably try adding another cooking apple if I wanted the apple part less sweet, but you could add lemon juice and zest, a little at a time, tasting as you go along, until it tastes right.

I don’t like her crumble topping recipe either, btw. I think - assuming I’m on the right recipe - that’s a little too much butter to the amount of flour.

I always leave the apples with a degree of tartness with more sweetness in the crumble topping.

I don't follow any recipe for crumble. I just use 4oz flour, 2oz of butter and sugar. Scale up the amounts if I'm baking it for more people.

My original go to recipe was a Delia one, she gave a few examples, one was I reduce the amount of Flour and add porridge Oats or Muesli. This one I have used for many years and everyone loves it.

I like to use the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall method of cooking the crumble separately then heating the whole lot through when needed. I do enjoy experimenting with various nuts - hazelnuts are my favourite with apple.

www.rivercottage.net/recipes/hughs-crumble

Mary Berry's crumble is too sweet for me but everyone has their own taste. Trying a bit is the only way to find out whether it's right for you.

I never use a recipe for crumble but do not add sugar to the fruit unless it is rhubarb. There is enough sugar in the topping and also in the custard or ice cream. Mostly I make apple crumble and add a handful of porridge oats and a pinch of clove powder to the topping. There are never any leftovers.

Like HettyBetty, I never add sugar to the fruit except for rhubarb, there's some sugar in the crumble mix and in custard.

The preference here is for a tart fruit base with a sweet/sweeter topping.

I use a Mary Berry method that I saw her do on tv. Melt the butter then add flour, ground almonds, sugar, oats if you like, maybe some chopped nuts. Mix the ingredients together they should go into small clumps. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake, turning the mixture occasionally until it gets to the colour that you like. I like it to be quite dark. You can then add it to your base of cooked fruit when you are ready to eat.

Recently the base has been chopped eating apples and a jar of mincemeat that had been hanging around. The most recent version has been chopped apple with a jar of bergamot marmalade. V. delicious.

Adding a bit of lemon juice is a great idea to balance the sweetness in your apple crumble.

Crumble is so quick and easy, Apple, Plumb, Gooseberry, Damson even Greengage, we have a freezer full of homegrown fruit for that. Fruit gets 5mins in the microwave to thaw it, mix crumble while that’s thawing, I do add sugar to crumble and demarera sugar topping, 30 mins at 175c. Served cold with hot custard, always first choice and clean plates

We have crumble today - fruit is apple and cranberry flavoured with maple syrup and pecan nuts are whizzed with the topping

MiniMoon

I don't follow any recipe for crumble. I just use 4oz flour, 2oz of butter and sugar. Scale up the amounts if I'm baking it for more people.

Same here.
I add sugar to the apples if they’re all or mostly Bramleys, but not otherwise. The crumb,e is sweet enough.

I never put sugar in apple crumble. I let the crumble topping be the sweetener - 6ozs Flour, 3 ozs butter, 3 ozs Sugar. If you add cinnamon to the apples that will make them taste a bit sweeter too.

Serve with Greek yogurt? amount of sugar in apple will depend on how tart the apples are so matter of taste.

If you have any you could add apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.

IMO nothing is worse than an over-sweet dessert, so I would add either lemon juice or apple vinegar. If it turns out too sour, people can sprinkle more sugar over their portions.

I ue the same apple crumble recipe I learned at school. 6oz flour, 4 oz butter or marge, 1 oz sugar. Just throw a bit of sugar in the fruit if I think it needs it. Always works.

I use eating apples which I never add sugar to, just some mixed spice. The topping is half quantity butter and Demerara sugar to flour, so depends on the size of the dish. It never fails and is very quick and easy and I’m always asked for it if I’m having friends or family.

If you do the mary berry recipe then please do the taste test first. This is my tried and tested crumble mix.

5oz SR Flour
3oz Butter or margarine
3oz Caster sugar

Add butter to the flour and rub in until it forms a crumbly consistency. I then add the sugar and mix it in. Sometimes I vary the type of sugar - light soft brown or dark.
Place cooked apples in the base and put this on top. 40 minutes in a 170 degrees fan oven. Ta da!

Enjoy.

I always bake the crumble first for 15 mins then add to the fruit. It stays crisp and not soggy. Everyone now copies this idea in our family

grandtanteJE65

If you have any you could add apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.

IMO nothing is worse than an over-sweet dessert, so I would add either lemon juice or apple vinegar. If it turns out too sour, people can sprinkle more sugar over their portions.

I remember eating key lime pie which a friend had made and it was tart and delicious.
Then I went to Florida and ate it there - it was disgustingly sweet and quite inedible.

I also never add sugar to any fruit in a crumble. The crumble topping gives the sweetness. Always use real butter too.

I'm afraid I use packet topping for crumbles as I have always struggled with 'rubbing in' but I add a large handful of rolled oats to the mixture so it is less sweet and more crunchy. I always add very little sugar ( or granulated stevia sweetener actually) to stewed fruit so my crumbles are not too sweet.