It’s Fall Y’All
All things fall…
I simply can not believe that fall is here. Well, really it almost feels like winter this year, but it’s supposed to be fall. I love fall! I love pretty much everything about it! The colors, the crisp air, my favorite hoodies to wear, the smells, and the good food!
Fall colors seem to appear out of nowhere and suddenly cover the landscape. Trees showcase it, front porches flaunt it and we watch it spread across the sky at sunset. In a days time, a tree can be fully green and the next, a beautiful array of orange, yellow, pink or red. I’m so blessed to live in Illinois where I get to experience each season and all the fun bits that come with them.
Frosty mornings mean I get to wear my favorite fall clothing. Hoodies, sweaters, boots, jackets, I love the comfy, cozy feel of a sweater or blanket enveloping me in a warm cocoon. I love snuggling up next to the fireplace for the first fire of the season with the flames dancing and filling the house with warm, earthy scents.
The final evidence that fall weather has hit are the fragrant smells that linger inside and out. Fall has arrived with the smells of burning leaves wafting through the air, pumpkin pies adorning dinner tables, bake sales, apples and spice scents filling kitchens and bakeries. Pies, drinks, crumbles, caramel, strudels, sauces and butters each full of yummy, peak-season flavor.
Red or green?
At our house, the dilemma is, which do you prefer? Red or green?
We have 2 apple trees, one red and one green. This blessing of fruit was inherited when we moved here. Our first fall and apple harvest was abundant! After that first harvest, we were convinced that the red apples were better. They made better cider and tasted better for eating.
When inheriting something, you don’t always fully know what you’re getting. Such was the case of our apple trees. We assumed, incorrectly, that they both matured at the same time. In reality, they do not. The red apples mature a bit faster than the green. In hindsight, that fact should have been apparent, but it was an oversight on our part.
We also assumed, again incorrectly, the red apples were sweeter and just all out better than the green. Hmmm, maybe that had something to do with the fact that we were harvesting the green apples at the same time as the red, but they weren’t quite mature yet, so they weren’t as sweet? I now believe this to be true. Wow! It only took us about 4 or 5 harvests to figure that out? We’re pathetic.
I know what you’re thinking. Why didn’t we do any research? Why wouldn’t we have asked someone who knew a lot more about apples than we did? Well, seriously, come on, it’s an apple. How hard could this be? They grow, they ripen, we harvest and eat it. In reality, it is kinda simple, but timing is everything! So the green apples, really are in fact, just as good as the red, and I might venture to say after this year, even just a little bit better.
Squeezing brings out the best…
Cider
Cider. Mmmmm. So sweet, so tasty, so tart, so good!
How does one even make apple cider? Eight years ago, I honestly didn’t even know. During a quick conversation with our neighbor, we mentioned the fact that we would love to make apple cider with our new found apples, but had no idea how. Well, they just so happened to have a cider press AND were willing to let us borrow it to make cider! Sweet! (literally!) Our neighbor dropped off a weird looking contraption (all made out of wood I might add), rapidly explained how it functioned and then left. Wait, what? The apples go through there and then what? Squeeze? Ok.
I’m sure if people were watching us make our first attempt at apple cider, they would have thought we were crazy. We had no idea what we were doing, but we sure had fun doing it! It was a family event! True bonding was happening! In through the top, chop, out through the bottom, then squeeze and voila… cider! Mmmmm… Now that we’ve had several years to hone the process, we look much more like pros (at least I think we do). You can find my favorite Spiced Cider recipe here.
Applesauce
Gettin’ saucy…
Fall has an association with all things apple, like applesauce. I dislike buying applesauce, I don’t know why. I think it’s because the applesauce from the store has no color. The applesauce I’ve made my entire life has a little bit of brown color (sounds gross, I know). It’s even a little more brown when you tweak it with a little cinnamon, clove and nutmeg! Yummm!
We have been really busy this fall working on various other projects around the farm. But the trees were loaded with apples! As much as I desperately wanted to make applesauce, I just didn’t have the time to stand over the stove and make it the traditional way. It’s the heating and mashing and waiting and mashing and stirring and mashing and mashing and mashing some more! It just seems to take forever! And heaven forbid if you scorch it and have to start all over!
This year I got smart, I took my typical applesauce recipe and just threw it all in the crockpot. Is it possible that this will even work? Absolutely! Peel, cut, slice, dice, spice and throw it all in the crock pot. Voila, applesauce! Almost like magic!
So exciting!! I’ve made apple butter several times in the crock pot before, but never applesauce! And it worked! I threw everything in, let it cook overnight and it was all done when I woke up the next morning. Seriously amazing! Sanity saved! Here’s my applesauce recipe.
Look at this sauce!! So yum! I seriously had NO time and I was able to get this done. You can too!
The end… or is it?
Well, all good things must come to an end. And fall is one of them. The colors fall from the trees, the holiday colors fade from reds and yellows to reds and greens. Winter will be upon us before we know it and life will become more colorless and cold, at least here in Illinois. The wonderful thing is that I can savor my fall favorites of cider and applesauce for just a little while longer.
Like a squirrel storing nuts, I just have to visit my pantry and pull a jar or jug out and enjoy! Mmmmm! So bon appetit! I’m going to go find a spoon and enjoy my very brown applesauce with a cup of warm spiced cider…
Have you found an apple recipe that’s delicious? Go ahead and share!!
