Sunday afternoon was spent on my regular pilgrimage to pick apples. I go with my neighbor/friend/childhood sweetheart and her son every year. Where else could I be persuaded to purchase over $15 worth of apples?
There were plenty of apple trees loaded with fruit for the picking this weekend. It was a great summer for apples and there's so much fruit that the orchard owners are concerned about how they are going to pick it all. You know, since we don't like those nasty illegal immigrants.
I wrote a nice post about last year's outing so I won't repeat it here since most of the details are the same. I stuck to my tried and true Cortlands and Empires, and I'm trying a new variety called "20 Ounce" that are very big, covered with lumps, and have an odd aftertaste. I figure it'll only take four of these apples to make a pie they are so big and their tart flavor should be perfect for pie makin'. Two years ago I started baking the pies without sugar, just some cinnamon, allspice, and couple of packets of Splenda, so they are really tasty and lower in calories. Now when I have a "regular" pie made with sugar they seem so sweet to me.
Here they are: Empire (these always have an irregular shape...see how it's kinda flat on the left?), 20 Ounce (can you see how they are lumpy?), and a very very large Cortland (don't get too attached...this one is now a pie). For you gardeners, that's verbena and hosta in the back.
Mother Nature provided us with a much nicer day than what we had last year. Brisk, with mostly sunny skies. We tasted a wide variety of apples as we wandered among the rows of trees and we all left with our bellies full. I enjoy Macintosh right off the tree but they don't seem to hold up over time for me.
It seemed as though there were more non-apple things to pick this year. The strawberries were gone as were the raspberries but there were plenty of eggplant, butternut squash, tomatoes and grape tomatoes, gourds, and several types of pumpkins. In the shoppe, they sell pies, cider, and doughnuts. I resisted all of the above!
*
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Picking Apples Out In The Country
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I love the remodel!
Now I want to bake an apple pie. I miss some of the old fashioned varieties like Northern Spie. I will have to try out Splenda. I have been not making pie, just because of the calories and I miss having fresh pie. I remember we used to have apple pie as part of breakfast at the relatives farms.
Yes, pie was had for breakfast...just this morning!
Apple season is starting soon in my neck of the woods, I'm guessing within another three weeks or so. Can't wait for fresh squeezed cider and taffy apples...
Mmm.... Apples right off the tree. I miss that. (I grew up on an apple orchard.) Just wipe the poison off and eat...yummy.
Though I have to admit I've never liked apple pie (how unAmerican is that?!) No squishy apples for me! :)
Empire is my favorite too! I can't wait to go, maybe this Sunday. I'll have to look for the "20 Ounce" and make a pie out of them, I always seem to have trouble locating the granny smith's.
Post a Comment