Morabay Seeb means Apple Preserves. Moraba is preserves and Seeb is apple. Morabay Seeb is a delicious and beautiful preserve made with golden delicious apples. I like the fragrance of this variety but any firm cooking apple will work well for this recipe. Unlike other heavier preserves, the apples in this moraba are quickly poached in a light syrup until they are tender but firm. Because of the natural pectin in apples, the syrup thickens as the apples cook.
The cooked apples take a light golden color and become almost translucent and are very fragrant and flavorful. Morabay Seeb is a delightful breakfast with butter and bread. It is also a great snack or dessert with yogurt, cottage cheese, or vanilla ice cream!
Core then peel the apples, cut the apples in half through where the core was. Rub a lemon slice over the cut apples to keep them from browning. Make the syrup and add the apples in a single layer to the saucepan.
Poach the apples in 2 batches in a boiling syrup for a short time until fork tender on both sides. Then transfer them to a heat proof dish. When all the apples are poached pour the thickened hot syrup over the apples and cool.
To serve Morabay Seeb, spoon some syrup over the apples and sprinkle with coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios.
Enjoy Morabay Seeb with softened sweet butter and toasted bread with a cup of hot tea for breakfast or snack. I also highly recommend trying this delicious apple preserves as a topping for Shir Berenj, yogurt, cottage cheese, or vanilla ice cream!
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes for 2 batches
Yield: 10 apple halves
- 1 ½ pounds small firm golden delicious apples (about 5), cored, peeled and cut in half
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp vanilla powder, or ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Core, peel and cut the apples in half through where the core was. To keep the peeled apples from browning rub the surface with a cut lemon. If the apples are large instead of cutting them in half, cut them into quarters.
- Add water, sugar and lemon juice to a 3-Qt heavy bottomed saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium high. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla powder or vanilla extract. This is a thin syrup to start with and then it gets thicker as the apples cook.
- The apples are going to be cooked in two batches. Add the apples with the cut side down in the saucepan in a single layer. Bring it to a boil and continue boiling over medium high for 5 minutes.
- Use two forks to turn the apples and check the cooked side of each apple half, if you can easily poke it with the fork, flip it over carefully and continue cooking over medium high for another 5-7 minutes. The apples are ready when you can pierce both sides easily with a fork. Check the apples carefully and try not to tear into them.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked apples to a heat-proof glass dish.
- Add the remaining uncooked apples to the hot syrup with the cut side down and continue cooking the same as the previous batch. The syrup will be thicker by now and tends to overflow, don’t leave it unattended.
- When all of the apples are cooked, turn the heat off, transfer the apples to the heat-proof dish and pour the hot thick syrup over the cooked apples. Let the apple preserves cool in room temperature without covering it. Chill it completely in the refrigerator before covering it. Store in an airtight container up to a week to ten days in the refrigerator.
- When serving, spoon some of the syrup over the apples and sprinkle with unsalted pistachios if desired. Apple preserves can be served with cottage cheese or yogurt. It is also wonderful with cream cheese or honey on toasted flat bread or any bread of your choice.
These apple preserves look amazingly delectable. So simple to make and great for desserts too!
Thanks Fae! I love apples but I have to say this preserve is so delicious that whenever I make it, it disappears so much faster than the fresh apples and everyone loves them.
I wish we were neighbors! I have never eaten apple preserves before but these look tempting enough to try. I love raw fruit, especially apples, and only eat them cooked if they’re thinly sliced in a pie. I make fig jam though, since no one in my family eats them if they’re preserved. My little tree produces the best figs!
I enjoy your posts.
I enjoy reading your comments! Wish we were neighbors too, I have never had figs right off the tree! I think you will like these preserves, they have a lot less sugar than other preserves and are very delicious. I usually keep the halves whole and eat them with a bowl of yogurt, my husband loves them with cottage cheese!
I’m moving into the neighbor, too.
Tea time with Homa and you. Perfect.
Haha, that would be just lovely Vicki 🙂