Apples

For so many years in the past The Mister and I made large batches of applesauce for the freezer. He would cut them in quarters, I would core and cut them into pieces and put them in the large kettle. It took us all morning. Then they were cooked down and mashed until I deemed the consistency was perfect. The kettle was brought to the counter and the OLD Foley Food Mill was attached. As I ladled the hot stew into the mill, The Mister did the cranking. When the bowl under the mill was full, it was poured into another very large container until the milling and cranking and ladling and pouring was finally finished. A touch of cinnamon and nutmeg was added. The skins left on always made our applesauce be very pink in color and the flavor was outstanding. The resulting sauce was then ladled into jars and containers and two bowlfuls were saved out for us to have later when still warm. Cleaning up was my responsibility, but I never could have cut and milled so many apples by myself. We did a couple of batches every year!

This year I am just eating one a day and dehydrating the rest. No more applesauce. I do NOT use a corer but just my handy sharp knives. (Not as much waste.) The day has come to back off and it really is OK. Time moves on. 

Well that was only four and I have EIGHT more of these larger Cortlands to process! I shall finish this project in two more days. 

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