This post is from an earlier date but I felt it was time to republish it because some readers had asked about tools for making apple cooking easier and a few recipes. I may repost a couple more about the apple harvest simply because I love apples! Enjoy the post and please feel free to leave any questions or comments in the box below.
Hello and welcome! You may have noticed a little change in the air lately or you may know that yesterday was the first official day of Autumn. What that means to me is that apple season is in full swing! I love the Fall and part of the reason is the apple harvest. I’ve said it before but there really isn’t anything like an apple fresh off the tree. If you have a pick your own orchard in your area try and make an effort to get out there and pick a few! I know on the weekends it can be a little crazy at some of these places and even more so, since so many have been on lockdown in their homes. Call the orchard and see if they are open during the week and if you can make it, then go for it! If I was your boss I’d give you the day off but, I’m not, yet maybe it might be a good team building exercise and it never hurts to let your inner child out to play once in awhile.
There are numerous types of apples to chose from. I’m going to list ten varieties that all have their origin in New York State. So if you see one of these in your supermarket or local farm stand give them a try and let me know what you think. Acey Mac, Autumn Crisp, Cortland, Empire,Fortune, Jonagold, Jonamac, Macoun,RubyFrost and Snap Dragon. These are just some of the varieties grown here in New York. If you can find a Winesap apple know that you are eating an apple that dates back to Colonial America and maybe even further. I learned today that the Granny Smith apple that originated in Australia in 1868 is actually a sweet apple but here in America we harvest it before it gets sweet, usually because the colder weather sets in. I can’t confirm or deny this but a 5th generation apple farmer told me that, so I’m going to believe him. Of the New York apples mentioned, Empire, Fortune, Jonagold and RubyFrost are all good for pies. I like to add a few different varieties to my pies or my apple sauce as it gives more depth of flavor.
If you’re going to give the apple thing a try here are a few tools that’ll make your life a lot easier. The first one is just a corer, I bought it to try an old colonial recipe of baked apples. All you do is remove 3/4 of the core and fill the hole with a mixture of butter, cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can cover them with foil if they start to burn and some people like to add raisins into the mix. The 2nd tool is a corer, slicer. This tool makes quick work of apples for things like dipping in melted chocolate or spreading peanut butter on them. It’s a must have if your child has braces and loves to eat apples. The 3rd tool is the most amazing invention for apples ever created. This tool peels, cores and slices your apples all at once. You can also remove the slicer/corer if you just need them peeled. You can prepare enough apples for a pie in about 5 minutes using this tool. I believe this was invented by the Shakers many years ago but if you know of it’s origin please drop us a line below. I’ve written about apples before so if you’d like to try some of the recipes here are the links to those blog posts. Apple sauce and Apple Crisp can be found here. Apple Crumb Pie and Vegan Applesauce Cake is here. If you’re feeling adventurous you can try making Mamaw’s Fried Pies here. These are just a few recipes to get you started. Let me know if you try any of them and how they turn out. On the Vegan cake you can make it non-vegan by adding two eggs in place of the egg replacer and using butter and evaporated milk for the frosting. Oh man I’m getting hungry thinking about all these delicious recipes!
Time to wrap things up for today. I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you did please leave a comment in the box below. As always if you have any questions or comments please place them in the box below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day and until next time Boone Appétit!
