The Changing Dynamic of Apple Picking

Every year since Sidney was born we have gone apple picking.  As the kids get older, the dynamic is beginning to change, ever so slightly.  This year they each brought a friend.  We go to an orchard that is beautifully kept, and allows you to climb the trees to pick apples.

The kids all climbed and picked for a few minutes, but then the girls either sat in the trees to chat or went off for a walk...as girls do.  The boys stuck with us, and ate their way across the orchard.  Before long, they all took off for the corn maize while we picked the apples, a bushel (about 40 pounds) worth.  The price was reasonable, or at least in line with what you would pay for local/regional apples at the grocery store, and we got a couple of great baskets to boot.  Always helpful with farm harvest.

In the afternoon while I ran Charles from soccer to boy scouts, B began working on the first batch of sauce and jelly.  The absolute best thing that we did this year?  We bought an apple peeler/corer/slicer.  This simple kitchen tool allowed us to process the first half bushel in record time!  As we ladled hot jelly and sauce into jars, we did something that we have never done before.....used every single mason jar in the house!  This year we have not only utilized every mason jar that we have collected over the last seven years, but had to purchase about three dozen additional ones.  That works out to be right at 175 jars of processed garden goodness!  We have one last round to go, but as I just said, it looks like I will be buying a few more jars to finish.

With the changing dynamic of the apple picking the kids may not have picked a lot of apples with us, but they will reap the benefits.....their lunches today consisted of peanut butter and apple jelly sandwiches, and apple, and an apple streusel cookie!

A Well Processed Apple

With the fall schedules beginning to take shape, I know what will happen. It will soon be October and we will have not made it apple picking yet. So, we took the opportunity between soccer games at the tournament on Saturday to pick some early season apples....just in case time flies as I suspect.

The apples were small but flavorful, a perfect combination to pack in school lunches and to make a first batch of applesauce.  I can see that I will need to get many more apples processed into sauce, if Charles polishing off an entire pint for breakfast yesterday morning is any indicator of its popularity.

I always love processing garden and fresh picked goodness.  Any waste immediately becomes chicken treats so not really waste at all.  At B's suggestion, we took the apples one step further.  We cooked down all of the cores and skins until they were complete mush.  Then strained the mush through a jelly bag.  We were left with right at 4 cups of the most amazing smelling apple juice, which we immediately added (equal amounts of ) sugar to and cooked to the magic 220 degrees and now also have 6 jars of beautiful pink apple jelly.  To top it off...the chickens loved the remaining mush!  So win, win...a well processed apple!

Apple Jelly ~ One Ingredient!

I have been a public radio fan since I found it shortly after our move to Las Vegas eighteen years ago.   We were thrilled when we moved to Wisconsin to find that our area had two local stations WPR and WUWM.  This week on WPR as I was driving from errand to errand, the guest on Here and Now was Kathy Gunst, a Maine chef who focus' on local and seasonal dishes monthly.  My mouth was watering by the end of the program.  One simple recipe piqued my interest not only because I am apple crazy this time of year, but because all you needed was a few hours of time and one ingredient!

Apple Cider Jelly.  All it takes is some patience and a gallon of the refrigerated apple cider that is all over this time of year.  Pour it in a big pot and bring it to a boil, then simmer it for two hours.  When it gets to where it is just coating the back of the spoon, pay close attention and let it continue to thicken and reduce.

What you are left with is a dark brown reduction of beautiful jelly.  The natural pectin in the apple sauce does all of the work and the caramelized effect of cooking it down allows for no added sugar.  I did stir in a teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon at the end and then put it in a mason jar.  As it cooled I skimmed a little bit of foam off of the top and then refrigerated it.  The one gallon of juice yielded me one pint of amazing apple jelly!  I will definitely be doing this again!  I may also have to try her easy baked apple sauce.  Just click the link above for the recipes.