Two Saturdays ago, I went to a local auction (the auctioneer is Amish, so it was an especially neat auction to go to, with all the Amish ladies, children and babies running around.) They were selling quilts and produce, among other things.
The quilts were uh-maze-ing, but I just couldn't afford them. In particular, they had a cathedral quilt which was divine. Ever seen one of them? I admit, the coveteousness was pouring out of me and pooling at my feet. I was tempted to forego my "cash only" system so that I could make installments on it. ;-)
But I had gone for apples. The last two dozen or so went for $13.00 a bushel. (Up from last year but much lower than "town" prices) and I got five bushel. I hope to get a few more bushel of Crispin Apples later this month, as they are good keepers and will keep us in fresh apples for most of the winter. But the Macs were specifically for preserving and cider making.
This past weekend I tackled them. The end result was 28 qts. of applesauce, 35 pints and half-pints of apple butter, 2 bushels of the best small apples set aside to make homemade cider at our Church Harvest Party this Saturday and several dozen of the best big apples to be made into apple pie filling and for dehydrating. (I still haven't done the last apples' worth of work.) I found this recipe for apple fritters and I am thinking I absolutely MUST try it this week.
I have now officially exhausted my supply of quart jars so either I need to stop canning for the season or I need to buy more jars. :-)
I have no counter space right now, which needs to be remedied except I have no room elsewhere to put the jars (my canning cupboard is chock full, as is a different cupboard I emptied for the overflow from the canning cupboard (which filled up in no time) AND two very large and deep shelves I used to use for kitchen tools that now ALSO house jars. I have no idea where these will go. Nor do I know where the flats of onions will go or the many crates of winter squash and pumpkins that are littering my laundry room and kitchen floor. (We never did get around to a root cellar this year....here is hoping for next!)
What happy problems to have, no?
How was your weekend? Did you have a good one?
14 comments:
SO envious of the apples. I canned a measly 9 quarts because the apple crop this year was so small, and thus expensive.
And my heart stopped momentarily, hoping Dumplin' was a pet name, and that the apple pictures were just a trick. :-S
I'm going to go eat an apple now...
I used to love to go apple picking with the children when they were little, but the only place near here has gotten so commercialized. They charge you to even just walk onto the property and have all the hoopla - corn maize, wagon rides, etc. I have found a great little store near here that sells local apples for $.69 per lb. which is cheaper than I can pick them for. So I've just been buying them.
I LOVE apple fritters and they bring back memories. My mother used to make those every Saturday morning as a treat.
My weekend was very relaxing. Today is a crazy one though between homeschooling and baking and sewing, for a farmer's market tomorrow.
Love the pictures, as usual!
Bonnie - I had the EXACT same thought! ;)
Yum!!! I can just SMELL your house!!! :) Great work, Rebecca!!!
Wishing there were places in Texas to get "real apples." :(
Yes!! Finally, a kindred spirit with a home that looks like mine. Except I am finally DONE with apples AND tomatoes, hallelujah!! We have pantry shelves along one wall of our basement but.. uh.. currently the floor down there is covered in boxes and laundry baskets full of canned food. I have to do some serious rearranging. Can you fit jars under your beds or couches? Or up high on the top shelves in the kitchen? Good luck and good work! :)
I'll take some of that applesauce and apple butter of your hands!! ;]
That sounds SO delicious! Enjoy!
My mother used to make homemade applesauce! Oh, it was the best!
And to think that I bought apples for $1.99 a pound, only got 4 apples too and still paid like 5 bucks =[
My goal in life is to learn how to can things.
Have a GREAT week!
Laura
Oh, Rebecca, my feet ache just looking at those photos! God bless you for being so industrious, and looking after the ways of your household. Your family is blessed by you!
Love the pictures! Isn't having the whole family involved in the putting by process so fun? :) Is your apple butter recipe on your Kitchen Riches blog? I'll have to go look. If not, would you mind sharing it?
We have lots of apples to put up, too! We made one batch of applesauce yesterday and started some 'Pig Squeal Jelly" as well. We need to make lots more sauce and pie filling. We've use quite a few for pies and crisps, too. We'll have to make some fritters next!
Totally off the subject but I saw this and immediately thought you! :D
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Bishopofknit/700-spinning-wheel
Wow, I need to get one of the those peel/seed remover contraptions! I made applesauce last week and peeling and coring all the apples took up a large portion of my time, which is why I feel that for all the time I spent I didn't get as many jars out of it as I had hoped. I hope to do another batch in a few weeks. Maybe by that time I'll find some kind of appliance for the peeling and de-seeding (It would probably not waste as much either.)
I saw that there is a Kitchen-Aid attachment for this, and I'm considering ordering that, unless someone tells me something negative about its performance.
Enjoy! Nothing like homemade applesauce. :P
Bonnie and Amy~ no such luck. But that would be a sweet name, iffin there was cause to use it! :-)
Terri~ hope your farmers market was a success! Busy lady, you are. And sheesh- I want YOUR mother! Fritters every Saturday? yes, please!
Stacy~ Wish you could have come this past weekend. I would have not only given you real apples but real, freshly made cider from Matt's cider press! We'd have you moving to PA in no time!
Marriedtothefarm~ I would be afraid that, if I put them under beds and couches, that they would not be used as often. Besides, I already use those spaces for things like...lincoln logs and Hess trucks. ;-)
Laura~ you need to find a store like Terri has! Even $13.00 a bushel stinks when you buy five of them! I would much rather have an orchard!
Tracy~ too bad it doesn't count for running, huh? Then I wouldn't feel like such a slug when I read your blog! :-)
Leah T~ the problem with my canning is that I do so much at a time that I flavor it until I like it instead of following recipes. The recipes are always for such small quantities and I make mine...obviously...not small. :-) So no, I really don't have a recipe. But I sweeten it to taste with half and half brown sugar and white sugar and add lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves until the taste is to my liking and then cook it down until it is thick. More a taste experiment every time. It stinks though, because those amazing years will never be perfectly recreated because I won't know how I did it!
PS. That is a COOL spinning wheel! Very VERY clever!
Leah~ the machine I got is the same one I use for making tomato sauce. It is called a Victorio Strainer and only runs about $40.00 which is a SMALL investment over years when it comes to peeling/coring/chopping. You are very diligent~ I probably would just buy it at the store if it meant all that work! :-) PS. I really enjoyed your post today. And the last one you did. I'd tell you on your blog if I could. I love getting inside your head....it is chock full of goodness.
Oh my I can smell your kitchen ;) You are amazing & I was going to offer some of my cupboards for your canning except it might be a bit difficult to get it over here!! :) What a wonderful problem to have ~ how I wish I could visit & get some canning lessons from you!
Have a wonderful day
Renata:)
Thank you. I will look up that item and see if I can't get me one before I make my next batch of applesauce next week! And next summer I'm going to try for tomato sauce for the first time, I'm promising myself.
Ok, now I'm really starting to get bugged that you can't comment on my blog. I even took off the word verification (I think). You, for one, would know how encouraging it is to get a comment saying someone appreciated something you put up. Oh well, keep trying, will ya? :)
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