Applesauce 2014

A was chatting with a friend at school earlier in the week about gardening and canning and making baby food when she asked if I would like some apples.  "Yes!" I replied instantly.  I asked if she had apple trees; to which she replied they have 4.  We set up a time to meet so I could pick some apples.  As we talked a little more, she commented about the sweet taters I had recently harvested.  I asked if she would be interested in some; to which she replied "Yes!"  We made a trade, and both walked away happy as clams.

Dallas was kind enough to help me run all the apples through the Sauce Master.

I ended up with 18 quarts of applesauce!  I spiced up the applesauce this year and added cinnamon!  The older kiddos love it when I buy the cinnamon flavor at the stores, so I thought, "Why not make it myself."  I had one jar not seal during the water bath process, so we put it in the fridge to eat.  I think it is safe to say they liked it because the jar was empty within 4 days!

Until next time...

It's Harvest Season!

While it may not be the traditional harvest season, it is the start of garden harvesting time!  Here's what I found in the garden yesterday...

The first of my tomatoes are ripening

First pull of radishes

First head of broccoli

First green bell peppers

First apple at fell from our tree

It's a little on the small side, and it wasn't ripe

And the part that Doug, my kids, my dad, and my sister have been waiting for...pickling cucumbers!

Until next time...

Apple Pickin'

After visiting the zoo on Friday morning, we headed out for lunch and then home for naps!  I had been wanting to go to a local apple orchard to pick apples to can.  We are on our last jar of apple butter and last jar of applesauce.  I was also out of apple pie filling.  Luckily, the orchard near us still had a great deal of apples!

The yellow apples were pretty much gone, but these red rome trees were full!

Off to find some apples...

The branches were so full that they hung nice and low so the kiddos had no problems pickin'

or taste tastin'

I wasn't quite sure how many apples I would need, but here are two of the three bags we brought home (a total of 62 pounds!)

I first made apple pie filling - I ended up with 12 quarts, which should make 6 pies.  Yumm-o!

I then made applesauce out of the remaining apples.  I saved 20 cups worth to make apple butter this weekend, and the rest (7 quarts) was kept as plain applesauce.  I'm sure everyone - including Baby B#3 - will enjoy it over the next year.

Until next time...

Apple Orchard

On Tuesday, we headed out with a local mom's group on a field trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin farm.  You might remember us doing this same trip last year...Click here to see last year's visit to the orchard.

Dallas spotted this huge pumpkin right away and wanted his picture taken with it

Reba chose the little pumpkins

At the start of the tour, we learned about Johnny Appleseed and how he started many orchards by collecting the seeds from cider mills

The orchard is starting to replace some of their original trees (not ones planted by Johnny Appleseed), this young tree was the only tree in the orchard to still have apples on it

The last original tree - over 50 years old!

We were even able to sample some of the cider they make

It was delicious! 

Before heading home, I had to get one more picture...

...and compare it to last years

Until next time...

TJ's Orchard

Yesterday, I took the kiddos on a little field trip with a Mom's group.  We went to TJ's Orchard which is an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch!  The kiddos really enjoyed it, and Dallas kept telling me last night that he had "so much fun".

Here the kiddos are listening to the story of Johnny Appleseed (at least Dallas looks interested)

TJ's makes their own apple cider - and it is delicious!

This one bushel of apples will only make about 2.5 gallons of cider

After a walk through the orchard, we ventured out to the pumpkin patch.  Dallas and Reba loved spotting the pumpkins hidden in the green vines and leaves.

We then went back inside to see how they pick the apples

and how they sort the apples

Then, it was taste-testing time!  Reba enjoying some of the cider

Dallas didn't waste anytime sinking his teeth into the apple!  (I had to eventually take it away because he devoured the entire thing and was eating the seeds!)

Until next time...