Autumn Applesauce & Apple Butter

We try to go apple-picking every year.  I picture a chilly crispness to the air, bundled in a cozy sweater, the scent of a crackling fire wafting around us, warm apple cider, and we five laughing and teasing as we pluck ripe red apples from the trees, discussing the various ways we'll use these delicious apples.  We will make apple pie, apple muffins, Apple Spice Hand Pies with Cinnamon Cream, applesauce, apple butter, apple cider, and a lovely apple and parsnip mash.

Here's what really happens...  I insist we go apple picking even though 2 of the 5 of us (who shall remain nameless but both are male) don't want to go at all due to 1) having to spend time with the family (our son) and 2) there's sure to be many bees around and someone is terrified of bees (husband).  We all pile in the SUV and head out to the orchard.

Just as we arrive, it starts to sprinkle.  Fantastic.  And it went from 80° and sunny to chilly and damp.  Then one of our daughters decided to pick that day and that time to declare her hatred for her sister simply because we only had one apple picking stick and had to share.  I mean, seriously.  Sharing stinks.

She was grumpy and whiny and difficult while the rest of us were trying to make the best of it.  It did stop spitting rain on us.  The temperature increased to a comfortable 75°.  Our son took over the camera and was enjoying himself, at least as much as a 16 year old man-boy with his family can.

The lady who owns and runs the orchard goes on the honor system if she's not there. She leaves a bucket out on an old patio table near the orchard entrance and trusts you to pay for what you take. She leaves plastic bags and apple pickers to use at your leisure. And she almost always has some cookies sitting out for anyone to have a snack after apple-picking.

She wasn't there when we first arrived, so we went on our merry way picking apples. Later she came out to greet us and see if we needed any help finding the good ones. Her enormous orange tabby was faithfully following behind her. When I mentioned that our youngest kid had her grumpy pants on, she told her that the best way to get rid of the grumpies is to jump up and down as hard as you can. So Ms. Grumpy jumped up and down, giggling.

This kind lady told me a story of her childhood.  When she was a little girl, she used to love to go to a neighbor "grandma's" property.  She had an apple orchard and always had cookies for her to munch on. She loved picking the apples and feeding them to the horses so much that when she got older, she bought an orchard and horses and became that "grandma."  And she makes sure to always have cookies on hand for the little ones.

Adjust the quantities of sugar and spices to suit your tastes.  Put the sauce and butter into mason jars and freeze for later use.  The applesauce is particularly delicious while still warm, on it's own or spooned over vanilla bean ice cream.

Applesauce
20 servings

20 apples, cored and chunked
2 c. water or apple juice
4 T. cinnamon
2 c. brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a dutch oven or slow-cooker.  Cook over medium-low heat in dutch oven until the apples are softened, 3-6 hours.  In slow-cooker, cook on low for 6 hours or so.  Puree to desired consistency using a blender or immersion blender.  For a chunkier applesauce, puree half and mix together.


Apple Butter
20 servings

20 apples, cored and chunked
2-1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

Mix all ingredients in a dutch oven or slow-cooker.  Cook over medium-low heat in dutch oven until the apples are softened and the mixture is a dark brown.  In a slow-cooker, cook on low for 9-11 hours or until dark brown.  Puree in food processor, blender, or using immersion blender.

Tomatoes 101

Tomatoes are the pure gold of the summer harvests.  They are sweet, juicy, flavorful, and abundant.  There's nothing like picking tomatoes straight off the vine on a July afternoon and tearing into it like an apple, juice running down your chin and arm.

I've learned a few things about tomatoes that I want to share.  There have been many times I wish I'd had a tomato guide.  And can I tell you how many times I've seen someone pull a tomato out of their (gasp!!) fridge?  Oh, and how I've longed to scold them like a tantrum-throwing toddler for flat out ruining that tomato!   Yeah, I can be a stickler like that.  In lieu of that, I've complied some of my favorite tips and tricks, as well as links to several amazing recipes with tomatoes as the starring ingredient.

Tomatoes ~ Everything You Wanted to Know 

Storage:  

• Whatever you do, no matter what, NEVER store tomatoes in the refrigerator.  The cold temperature breaks down the cell walls, making the flesh mealy and gritty and tasteless.  Ahhhhhh, I can tell by your reaction you know exactly what I'm talking about.  That nasty, flavorless, sand-textured tomato came out of your fridge. 
• Keep tomatoes on your counter, stem-side down until ready to use.  Sealing off the "opening" prevents oxygen from getting in and spoiling.

Buying:

• A good tomato will be firm enough to resist pressure, but not so firm it's hard as a rock.  It will have no blemishes or bruises, and no soft spots.  A juicy tomato will feel heavy for it's size.
• If you can't grow your own or purchase from a farmer's market, good luck finding a good tomato. The supermarket ones are generally total garbage. They are usually picked green and unripe, transported in cooler cars, and sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen.  Gross!.  The best bet for a grocery store tomato is the grape or cherry tomatoes.  

Flavor:

• Believe it or not, the most flavor is held in the seeds and jelly of a tomato. Most of us get rid of that stuff because it waters down the other ingredients.  But if you can help it, try and save it.  You can even reduce it on the stove for a bit to make it less watery.

Prepping:

• Peeling:  Because tomatoes are so delicate, they are very difficult to peel without blanching.  First core the tomato.  Then blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds or until you see the skin split.  Plunge in ice water, then peel with a paring knife.
• Slicing:  Slicing tomatoes without a serrated knife can be impossible unless you use a razor sharp knife. Forget squashing the fruit and use a serrated or steak knife.
• Salting:  If you must remove the liquid from tomatoes for your recipe, you can cut them into wedges, salt them, place on paper towels, and drain for 15 minutes.  

Ripening:

• If you need your tomatoes to ripen faster than sitting on the counter, you can place them in a paper bag.  Tomatoes release ethylene gas as they ripen and the paper bag contains it.
• Green tomatoes won't ripen to red.  Skip the hassle and fry those guys up (Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Buttermilk Dip).

Canned Tomatoes:

• Delicious!  I usually steer clear of canned foods (except for beans) but canned tomatoes rock.  Use them in any application where they are cooked.

Health:

• Tomatoes contain lots of healthy vitamins and minerals.
• Lycopene (anti-cancer)
• Folic acid
• Vitamins A, C, & E
• Beta-carotene (antioxidant)
• Phytoene and phytofluene (anti-cancer)
• Eating tomatoes cuts your risk of many diseases.
• Ovarian cancer
• Digestive issues
• Prostate cancer
• Asthma and chronic lung disease
• Cardiovascular disease

Growing:

• Plant in either the ground or in a large pot.
• Bury two-thirds of the plant in the ground, branches included.  This will insure that the entire stem that is underground will grow roots, providing a strong root structure for your plant.  I wouldn't do it with other plants, though, as they suffocate.
• Make sure the spot gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
• At the time of planting, put a stake or tomato cage in as well.  Doing it while the plant is small prevents damaging the roots of a bigger plant.
• Water when the soil is dry.  During the hot summer, this may be daily.  
• Feed with organic fertilizer not nasty chemicals, please.

Recipes:

• Quick Pasta Night ~ Saute halved cherry tomatoes in olive oil with a little garlic and toss with hot pasta, fresh basil, and shaved Parmesan.
• Quick Tomato Salad ~ Slice or chunk ripe tomatoes, sprinkle with minced shallot, fleur de sel (or Kosher salt), and olive oil.  Serve with crusty bread.
• Quick Lunch ~ Warm up crusty bread, such as baguette.  Tear off chunks, smear with Brie cheese, and top with a tomato wedge.
• Tomato Pie
• Cherry Tomato Salads ~ Tuscan and Caprese 
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Tabouleh 
• Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
• Tomato Jam - Garden of Eating
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce - Foodie Girl
• Beer Cheese Tomato Soup - Fake Food Free
• Roasted Tomato Sauce - Brave Tart
• Tomatoes on Toast - Simply Recipes
• Heirloom Tomato Towers - Pappardella

Hard Candy

I fondly remember my mom making lollipops in various flavors for us as kids. My favorite flavors were the cinnamon ones but I also loved the root beer flavor. I recently got into making hard candy, and the candies I made here are lemon flavor.  I haven't made a career out of making hard candy, and honestly never could, but it's an easy and fun way to make some yummy candies at home.

I learned the hard way how super hot the syrup is.  Molten sugar on your skin basically feels like you've just poured lava on yourself.  It's not such a good feeling so please be super careful.

There are so many flavor options as well.  I get my flavoring, which come in drams (single recipe servings), and candy molds from LorAnn.  I get my lollipop sticks from a craft store.

They have a million different flavors such as blueberry, caramel, cinnamon, cherry, root beer, strawberry, peppermint, and blackberry.  The coloring is just basic food coloring available at the supermarket.

The molds I use are for both lollipops and jewels.  Lollipops are fun to make for the kiddos.  You can also package them in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty ribbon for a cute gift or party favor.

Hard Candy

2 c. sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
3/4 c. water
1 dram (1 t.) flavoring
couple drops food coloring
candy thermometer (if you have one)
powdered sugar (optional)

Lightly oil molds or a baking sheet (for randomly shaped pieces).

In a large saucepan, mix sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil without stirring.

When syrup reaches 260*, add a few drops of food coloring.

Don't stir the mixture.  The boiling will distribute the coloring.

It really won't take long for the color to work it's way through.

If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test the doneness of the syrup by dropping a few drops of syrup into cold water.

If it forms hard, brittle threads in the cold water, it's ready.

If you have a candy thermometer, you're looking for 300*.  When you reach this stage, remove pan from heat.  When the boiling stops, add the flavoring and stir. Be careful because sometimes it will bubble up and the steam can be pretty potent, especially if you're using a strong flavor like cinnamon.

Pour syrup into molds or baking sheet.  If you use a baking sheet, you can score shapes with a knife after it sets up a bit.

When cool, break apart pieces of candy.  You can dust the pieces lightly with powdered sugar to prevent them sticking together as you store them.  Keep in airtight container.

Enjoy your old fashioned hard candy!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I go thru a lot of vanilla extract in this house.  I always double (or triple, or quadruple...) any amount called for in a recipe.  And I only use pure vanilla extract because the imitation stuff is flavored from wood by-products and chemicals.  Heinous!  Pure vanilla extract will last forever and it only has two ingredients.

Real vanilla extract can be really expensive though.  I've seen it go for as much as $20 for 8 ounces.  Instead of becoming a slave to the makers of rich, pure vanilla extract who charge the price of a small car for this liquid gold, I make my own.  It's easier than you think, as long as you have enough patience to wait.  Like 2 months.

I bought a half-pound of extraction grade vanilla beans online at Amadeus Vanilla Beans.  Let me tell you, half a pound of vanilla beans is like a small football sized amount.  Some people say the beans must be soft and fresh but I prefer the drier ones.  They are not pretty, and they are a bit hard, but once they are in the liqueur of your choice, they soften up.  Plus, with a lower moisture content, you get more beans in your half-pound than the same weight of pretty, plump ones.

So what booze to use?  I started with vodka, which is the traditional extract liquid.  It's flavorless so all you taste is the rich vanilla.  I also pulled out the bottle of bourbon we always have in the front of the liqueur cabinet.  And behind those bottles was a bottle of rum left over from Thanksgiving.

Why some people use bad liqueur to make extract, I have no idea.  I find the foul, harsh, gasoline flavor in such bad liqueur doesn't go away simply by adding vanilla beans.  That would be like putting whipped cream and a cherry on a steaming pile of puke.  I used Tito's vodka, Maker's Mark bourbon, and Cruzan aged rum.

This photo is vodka extract after 3-1/2 weeks.  I bought this bottle for less than $3 at Walmart.  It took the two small (pint) jars to fill it.

You'll need glass jars of some sort to store your extract in.  I used several sizes of empty mason jars.

This shows what the jars look like only moments after filling.  The small pint jar in the front has the rum, which is a barely different color than the vodka.  The bourbon one is obvious. After only a day or two you'll start to see the color change.

The large jar and two of the smaller ones have vodka.  Here's a closer look.

 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

8 oz. liqueur (vodka, rum, bourbon, or brandy; at least 35% by volume)

5 or more vanilla beans (I use a lot, but you'll need at least 5)

glass jars with lids

Take each vanilla bean and with a sharp knife, cut down the bean lengthwise to open and expose the tiny vanilla bean seeds.  Place beans in glass jars and add alcohol.  Put the lids on.  Store in a cool, dark place for 2 months to extract, shaking daily for a week, then whenever you think about it after that.  

As you use your extract, the vanilla beans may become exposed.  Now you have two choices.  You can either top off with more booze, or yank out the beans and stuff them in a jar of sugar to make yummy vanilla sugar.  If you leave them exposed (as I did once) they'll get slimy and yucky and ruin your extract.