20 Pounds of Apples

Last weekend my friends and I went on an apple picking adventure. It was a sunny autumn day, perfect to spend outdoors picking apples with friends. There is only about another week or so left for the season, so try to get out soon! Apple picking was really fun - seeking out the perfect apples to sweeten a soup, incorporate into baking, create a preserve and of course, just for snacking. Yes, I was excited about apple picking, but even more excited about all the possibilities with 20 lbs of apples!

At the orchard there was lots to explore In addition to the wide selection of cooking and eating apples, there was a corn maze, pumpkin patch, petting zoo and a farm market with fruit wine, honey and preserves. By the end of the day, I had selected a combination of eating apples (golden delicious and honey crisp) and cooking apples (Cortland and Spartan).  Apples keep for a long time and are very versatile in the kitchen, so stocking seemed like a great idea. So far I have baked maple apple muffins and a nutty apple crisp. I also preserved a rustic applesauce. Check back for more fun with apples in the next few weeks as I cook and bake through my 20 lbs of apples!