Born in the Wrong Century

When a Facebook friend put out the word that she had some apple trees that needed picking I got super excited; yes, I would love some apples!  And being that it was my birthday I actually talked my husband into going and picking some with me (he’s not a big fan).  They weren’t super ripe but they had a great flavor so we filled up our buckets.

A small bucket went to my Mom and then I got started on processing the rest.  First I canned some apple pie filling, then I made a batch of spiced apple butter and there was still some left so I made unsweetened apple sauce to eat or use in baking.  My hands weren’t super happy with all that processing but my tummy sure will be!

Beautiful pile o' apples!

{Recipe} Apple Pie Filling
4 cups sugar (I use half organic sugar & half sucanat, adjust to the sweetness of your apples)
1 cup organic cornstarch (you can use Clear Gel but I’ve never had a problem with cornstarch)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 tsp sea salt
10 cups filtered water
3 Tbsp lemon juice
7 quarts of sliced tart apples (about 3 ice cream buckets)

Peel, core and slice your apples (I keep them in salt water until I pack them in the jars to keep them from turning brown).  Place sugar(s), cornstarch, spices, salt and water in a large pot.  Stir to dissolve everything and cook until thick and bubbly (once it gets up to a boil it is usually thick).  Meanwhile, drain your apple slices and pack them tightly into hot, sterile quart jars.  Once the syrup is thick remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.   Ladle the syrup over the apples leaving 1/2 inch head space, it takes a while for the syrup to fill in the cracks so put a ladle into each jar and then start over until full.  Wipe the rims and seal.  Process the jars for 30 minutes (for 5k’ elevation) in a hot water bath.  Let cool and check the seals.
*** To bake a pie.  Pour the filling into a pie crust and bake at 400* for 30-40 minutes.  Top with a second crust or a crumb topping.  If you have any of the pie syrup left over enjoy it stirred into oatmeal or yogurt.

Now I just need to freeze some crusts so I'll be ready to make a pie at the drop of a hat!

{Recipe} Spiced Apple Butter
8 quarts peeled & cored tart apples
1 cup sucanat (adjust sweetness & spices to your liking)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp sea salt

Place apples into a large pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom and keep the apples from sticking.  Heat over medium until the little bit of water is boiling and turn down heat.  Simmer until the apples are soft and mostly fallen apart.  Add the sucanat and spices and stir well.  Cook over low heat until thick and dark brown (you can do this in a crock pot or on the stove).  Make sure you stir often so the apple butter doesn’t scorch.  Once you reach your desired thickness; ladle the apple butter into hot, sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Wipe the rims and seal.  Process the jars for 15 minutes (for 5k’ elevation) in a hot water bath.  Let cool and check the seals.

Turn applesauce into something magical!

{Recipe} Unsweetened Applesauce
Quartered and cored tart apples, peeling optional
*Optional: sweetener if apples are too tart, lemon juice if apples are too sweet, spices of choice

Place apples into a large pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom and keep the apples from sticking.  Heat over medium until the little bit of water is boiling and turn down heat.  Simmer until the apples are soft and mostly fallen apart.  If you didn’t peel the apples first you can remove the peels with a fork or run the sauce through a food mill.  Ladle the applesauce into hot, sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Wipe the rims and seal.  Process the jars for 25 minutes (for 5k’ elevation) in a hot water bath.  Let cool and check the seals.
***Applesauce also freezes well.  I fill my jars mostly full, place them in the freezer and then put the lids on once frozen.

I left the skin on in this batch and it turned the sauce a pretty pink color!