As with all the most delicious concoctions we make in the kitchen the fresher the ingredients, the better the outcome will be. That ladder and tree are in my back garden, so you can well imagine these apples are fresh–and organic! Sure there’s a moth or two in there, but for some blessed reason those moths dig into the center of the apple when they choose to inhabit, which is very handy for a cook with a good paring knife. Yep. A bug here or there may not sound appealing but upon consideration, and the knowledge that commercial apples can be sprayed up to 26 times in a season, well, it’s a small price to pay.
So up the ladder I went, collecting these wonderful apples from my kitchen garden. This (very old) tree was professionally pruned last year so it’s expressing its gratitude with an abundance of very much appreciated fruit. Now, what to do?
Honestly? The first thing I did was what I’ve done in years past. I pulled my dehydrator out of the shed and dutifully prepared and cut up apple pieces, just the right size, and placed them first on one and then on two trays. And then you know what? I plum ran out of steam. I accepted this, turned on the dehydrator and let it run all day long over the Memorial Day weekend, thinking surely I would get back to more another day. And here’s what I got out of that adventure.
Are they delicious? You bet! But did I want to do it again? I did not. Part of that decision was based on the realization that even though they were dehydrated they still needed to be stored. And although I’d considered “putting them in the freezer” once I was actually experiencing how long it took to get them dry, I knew I didn’t want to store them somewhere they’d be absorbing moisture. I concluded that the best way to store dried apples was by using a heat sealer. And I was not equipped to do that in that moment. So. What to do? Applesauce. Delicious, easy, could be done in smaller batches and could be frozen. Perfect. So I did that.
So easy. Quartered and peeled the apples. Pared off any offending intruder. I’d picked them off the tree directly, so no bruises to deal with. Popped them in my big pan, with a little water to get them going. And then I cooked them not until they fell apart, but until they were soft. Then I transferred them to my Cuisinart, where I carefully judged just how much I wanted them pureed. I wanted to maintain a bit of texture without their being chunky. Then I added a bit of lemon juice and a tiny bit of cinnamon and a very small amount of sugar. I have to remind myself I’m adding sugar to a sweet fruit, so it’s important to be conservative. And that’s it!
I’ve made about four batches so far. Most went into the freezer in freezer bags. I will pull out as needed for a side dish, as an ingredient in applesauce cake or perhaps pancakes! I’m also going to make up a batch which I will also freeze to add to my dogs’ breakfast on occasion. They love these apples, I’m happy to say! And they will appreciate a bit of apple this winter.
What is your favorite thing to do with applesauce? Now is the time. Autumn harvesting of apples is upon us, a mighty blessing to be taken advantage of for a happier, healthier, more delicious winter!
Love and kitchen blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
Book News: GreenPrints magazine has just put Plant Whatever Brings You Joy up for sale on their beautiful website. They surely did a wonderful job of presenting! Link to GreenPrints. And if you have not yet “liked” our FaceBook Fan Page, here’s that link, too! Lastly, if you’ve read Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, and loved the book, your review would be greatly appreciated on Amazon, where there are now 23 reviews, mostly all 5-star! Or Barnes and Noble! Thank you! xo
Posted on September 3rd, 2014 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 10 Comments »
