Apples and pears are coming 'round to ripeness. They are falling off the trees, being squashed and mowed; time for picking.
This morning was dry and sunny. Perfect picking weather. My mom and kids headed out to the orchard and easily picked a wheelbarrow full of pears and apples. The pears were hard as rocks, but they will ripen soon. The apples were juicy and begged for a crunchy bite. My children graciously accepted their temptation and we had a dozen or so freshly picked, bruised, and bitten apples.
We filled the wheelbarrow with water, gave those apples a quick bath, and then set to work coring and peeling. In no time, we had several naked apples that went right into a sauce pot on the deck to simmer down into bronze applesauce. We're ready for you Fall.
Applesauce
Apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
Lemon juice, a good squirt
Sugar, a good heap
Powdered ginger, to taste
Ground cinnamon, to taste
Ground nutmeg, to taste
Simmer the apples until bronzed and mushy. Stir and mush to break up chunks. When applesauce is looking bronzed, add lemon juice, sugar, and spices. Cook for another 10 minutes then can or refrigerate.
My 4 quarts from last year lasted about 2 months so... will do more this year as time allows.
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