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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Apple Adventures

This year marked our second family trip up to Ellijay, Georgia for some old-fashioned apple-pickin' and apple cannon shootin'.

Check out the difference a year makes!

Apple Pickin - 2009

Apple Pickin - 2010 (note the belly in the background!)
This year I got wise to the apple orchard game and bought a small bag of apples (20 lbs) that we hand picked and then got a 1/2 bushel of "seconds." "Seconds" are the ugly apples. Some have bruises, some are funkily-shaped, most are the type you'd put back at the grocery store. But they are PERFECT for making applesauce! With one applesauce monster in the house already and a new kiddo coming who will be starting solids when apples are completely out of season, I thought I'd stockpile some by canning and freezing.


The cost of 20lbs of "purty" apples? $14+ $4 orchard admission
The cost of my 1/2 bushel (about 24lbs) of "seconds"? $6

So we're using the pretty picked apples for eating and I'll pop some of them into pies and crumbles (theoretically that is). I've already made two Crock-Pot batches of applesauce and it still looks like I've barely dug into my bag of seconds....help!

4 comments:

  1. sorry. i suck.
    apple fruit leather:
    "line" cookie sheet w/ plastic (saran) wrap. pour apple sauce thick enough that there aren't any empty spaces on the tray - but don't do it too thick or your leather will be gooey and unmanageable (ie: you won't be able to get it off the sheet).
    bake around 250 for 3hrs or until the leather looks, ah hem, leathery. it may need another hour or possibly less. i don't leave the oven door ajar as is often recommended as, quite honestly i think it's a waste of power and time (and therefore money) :) Dave would be proud. i've never had it burn as i just keep the oven really low.
    when done, remove and allow to cool. b/c the oven is so low the plastic wrap won't bake into your leather. however, you should be able to just lift it off the pan. i roll mine and throw 'em in the freezer for use later on.
    hope that helps.
    again, sorry it took me forever.
    looking forward to seeing the finished product!!
    a

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  2. We LOVE when our neighbor gets all pioneer woman" on us! " And we love the applesauce!

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  3. Katie, can you send me your crock pot applesauce recipe please? That sounds so wonderfully easy!!

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  4. Look at the difference in weather! Jackets, hats last year and this year y'all were in T-shirts.

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