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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Appled OUT! OUT!

Two years ago I said I probably would not make applesauce the next year. Then I did. And I did again this year. It is soooooo good and wears me out but I keep doing more. It is labor intensive and my energy has waned. You see, I do it the "old way."  Way back in the far corner of the under-counter cupboards I dug, and found the large old kettle and the old Foley food mill. (I do see that there are new Foley Food Mills available. Mine is REALLY OLD)

The procedure begins with cutting them in quarters, coring, and cutting into eighths and slicing. There were as many that I had stored in one of the bottom refrigerator drawers; I think about a mixed peck of both Cortlands and Macouns. I added three cups of cold water to the kettle and then cooked them down until I could mash them with the potato masher.

Then we moved to the next step of spooning the hot slush into the Foley while the mister does the grinding. When the large pyrex bowl is filled to the level of the bottom of the Foley, I dump it into my very large plastic dishpan and we start again until the kettle is empty. 

From there it is ladled into containers and set to cool before freezing. The only thing I added was a few shakes of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. The yield is about one and one half gallons, all in small containers. Yes, we had warm applesauce at lunch.

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Quite often I'm asked why it is so pink! Well the ground up skins make it a beautiful natural pink.

OH what a cleanup too!

Applesauce

WOW it is really pouring here! This was expected and there was a project bearing down heavily on my mind that needed to be done so this is the day!

I wasn't going to make any this year. It is labor intensive for us and our energy has waned. BUT! I did buy a peck and when I looked in the freezer I saw that there were only two quarts left so.....

Way back in the far corner of the under counter cupboards I dug and found the large old kettle and the old Foley food mill.  I'll not go into detail but must tell you that the end product was well worth the energy spent doing this the "old way."

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The only thing I added was a few shakes of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. The unlidded one is lunchtime dessert today. 

Final Apple Projects

I AM APPLED OUT!! OUT!  (Except I still have to find some hair for Applehead Angie.)

I made my last batch of applesauce today and you can see that I've run out of containers. I really like the 8 oz. Ziploc ones but couldn't find more in the grocery stores I visited this year. When I share those with others I usually ask to have them returned.

So, this is IT~no more apple projects for a while, but remember I have dried slices and they make great pies.

Angie Applehead will be more beautiful when she gets her hair. I was going to use milkweed silk but haven't been back to the area where it grows since it has rained so much. Maybe jute twine will do. Maybe I'll change my mind and make her a hat! We shall see..... I made her eyes out of pebbles that I painted with permanent markers and covered with clear nail polish. She likes them.

I remember the day she was created. Never gave me an ounce of trouble.

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Apple Projects #6 & #7

Another (and probably final for this year) batch of Macoun applesauce was made. This one made six quart  containers with a tiny bit left over. I already gave one of the containers away! 

The next project was to bake apple cakes. I used two 8 inch pans because I don't have 9 inch pans, and only baked it for 50 minutes. Instead of the suggested apple varieties, I used 3 large Cortlands instead of 6 medium apples.

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  RECIPE

One Bowl Apple Cake -

This cake is so moist and rich and tasty!

Ingredients: 

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar 

2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup oil 

6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples or whatever tasty apple available.

2 cups flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into one greased 9x13 or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes. 

Apple Project #3

It's a labor of love - REALLY! The Mister quarters each apple and he also runs the Foley Food Mill. He disposes of the parings and helps with the cleanup. We both have to "take a break" several times during the process of making this wonderful applesauce. We will do it all again in a few days and then it's up to me to produce more baked items. The good apples are worth our efforts and will be enjoyed all year long.

The project process and completion is the same every year and these photos below are new. Some of you haven't been reading the apple stories through the years so I would love you make your own. There are easier ways, I suppose but I'm "old-school' and have time. Lately, my problem is a lack of energy and stamina but I know how tasty and enjoyable this stuff is!!

Washed in white vinegar water and ready to cut

Quartered, cored and cut into chunks

 About 1 quart of water is added as they cook down

 Mashed and smashed until no chunks are left

From kettle to grinder 

 Only a very small amount of skin is left in mill when finished

 About 1/8 t. nutmeg and 1/2 t. cinnamon is added

 Ladled into containers and burped for freezing

Clean up all finished and utensils await the next sauce-making day

The "old stuff" works very well.

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Applesauce Baking

The recipe tells me that it makes about 24 cupcakes. I never could figure out how you could have the batter ready and then hold back some until the first 12 were done. I sure don't have enough cupcake pans to make 24 all at once so I just made a small loaf with the extra batter. Whatever works, eh? The tricky part for me is that I have one pan for small ones and one pan for larger ones. Of course several toothpick pricks tell me when a tray is ready to come out of the oven. I topped them with a  cream cheese icing when they were cold. 

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Please don't think these have the texture of cupcakes or cake just because they have icing. The texture is drier and denser and they are heavy and sweet MUFFINS.

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Applesauce Muffins

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake:  about 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups applesauce
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional (YES use these!)
• Cinnamon-sugar, optional
• 
  
• Directions

• 1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in applesauce. Combine the flour, baking soda and spices; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in nuts.
• 2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired. Yield: about 2 dozen.

Sunset View

Last evening when I looked up from my card-making project I encountered this sight! Often we see sunsets hitting the hillside across the lake but this one was special. It must have been just at the right time to see such beauty and I know it happens rarely. 5:15pm was the time and I DID NOT enhance or change anything in these shots. They are being presented JUST as we saw them! Amazing!

The last of the applesauce work is finished and I have saved out about a dozen to make cake, pie, crisp. These are ready to go into the freezer with the first  batch and should last until next October. It is REALLY tasty! 

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An Apple a Day...

...hopefully - will keep us OK! 
Today we made our first batch of applesauce of the year. First I swoosh them round in a bowl of water mixed with a little distilled white vinegar. This is because I keep the skins on for applesauce.  It takes two to tango with this project.  The Mister quarters, I core and slice. I cook down with about a quart of water in the old applesauce kettle and then the aged Foley food mill is employed and managed by the Mister. A little sprinkle of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg is added. Some sugar too if we think it needs it after several taste tests. 

I had divided my apple supply in half and then picked out several of the larger ones, which are easier to peel, separately for further baking efforts. The other half sits in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator waiting to be sliced and diced to do the project again - maybe next week. Our freezer is almost full!

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I must say that Cortland applesauce is quite different from our favorite Macoun applesauce.  Macouns are extra-sweet and aromatic, very juicy with tender, snow-white flesh. Cortlands make a denser and heavier sauce and there is 'something' missing in the flavor. We have been spoiled for over 45 years using Macouns with the looser texture and a different distinct flavor and aroma. HOWEVER, we are so very grateful to have any apples at all and to still have the ability to make applesauce.

There is a number on the crank plate. In 1933 it was called a Foley Food Masher and was mostly used to make baby food. (I'll bet my mother used it for me!)

Food Mill Article