When I was a little girl, my family had a small apple orchard in the yard. My favorite tree was a variety called William’s Pride, which was the one closest to our well-house. Though the tree was relatively compact, it had a perfect little nook for a little girl to climb up and sit in, surrounded by the silvery green leaves and baby apples.
There is something very special about getting to experience an orchard, even a small home-orchard, as a child…getting to watch the young trees grow, walking among the rows, claiming them as my own, watching bees visit the delicate blossoms, and the exciting harvest, when the fruit was ready to come to the house.
Today, my dad has a nice stock of apple trees he has grafted, an orchard in the making, waiting in pots. We are getting started planting our selections on our new homestead this fall, and I’m anticipating seeing them grow and picking their fruit one day, Lord willing.
But until then, we greatly enjoy getting together with dear friends for a road trip to a community a bit north of us to stock up on apples for fresh eating and preservation. This year, my mom, sister, two friends and I all loaded up in our trusty Trailblazer, packed with everything we needed for a fun day. We followed the winding country roads through beautiful southern TN, admiring the leaves in their autumn splendor, visiting with great enjoyment while Cami and Martha Joy knitted the miles away.
After our traditional lunch of pizza at the Park, we were ready to pick up our order at the apple shed. The Amish man whom we buy from orders the apples from a supplier in Michigan, I believe. They are arranged in large bins by variety. Oh, the scent is delectable! It’s mouthwatering! And the colors…all those gorgeous apples are a feast for the eyes! Very quickly, if we weren’t already, we’re dreaming up what we’d do with all these delightful fruits.
We hand-selected Muztu, Jonagold, Jona Prince, and Fuji apples from the bins into buckets, weighed them, and packed them into bags. Once we were all settled up, we had to figure out how we were actually going to fit about 10 bushels into the back of our Trailblazer – and it worked! Plus, we managed to squeeze in some honey, a couple pumpkins, and several other purchases back there!
Once our jolly “Applecart” made the journey home, filled with the deliciously fragrant apples and memories of another successful adventure, we’ve enjoyed them fresh, cooked them up into sweet treats, and added apple-filled jars to our cupboard.
The Fuji are my favorite for fresh eating. They are delightfully crisp, yet juicy, with just the right amount of sweet and tart flavor.
We are also quite fond of fried apples. They are super simple to make! You can choose to peel your apples or leave the peels intact. I like to use a mixture, peeling most of them, but leaving a few red peels to add a bit of color and texture!
Slice the apples in ¼ – ½-inch slices and fry them in a skillet with butter. A sprinkling of cinnamon and drizzle of honey is optional. That’s it! These are excellent on their own, eaten by the spoonful, but they also shine with vanilla yogurt…or over oatmeal…or pancakes… *happy sigh* There are just so many ways to enjoy fried apples! And who doesn’t love a freshly-baked apple crisp, or pandowdy, or pie?
This year, to preserve the bounty for the winter months, we dehydrated slices for snacking or to stew for fried pies. Then we made a big batch of applesauce and – one of my favorites – I canned up some apple pie filling. Be sure to watch for a post coming soon with that recipe! I have a feeling every time I bake a pie using one of these jars it’ll bring back warm memories of this year’s apple adventure. What a blessing!
And speaking of blessings, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I sure did! It’s always a treat to gather at Grandmom’s house, surrounded by as much family as can make it there…but this year seemed extra special. It was precious to be together. We caught up on each other’s lives, we played games, we laughed a lot, we met my cousin’s precious new baby, we worked a jigsaw puzzle, and we ate…and ate some more! The spread of food amassed, buffet-style, on Grandmom’s kitchen counters might just have been more than ever!
Yes, this season has set me thinking on how abundantly blessed we are with good food and with family to share it with. I love the encouragement of Psalm 103 to “forget not all His benefits.” Remembering His goodness toward me makes every day “thanksgiving day!”
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee
with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
(Psalm 103:1-5)
I’d love to hear from you…What’s one thing you are thankful for at this moment? How did your family celebrate Thanksgiving? What is your favorite way to enjoy apples?
Thank you for reading! May God bless you!
Because of Jesus,
Maggie ♥
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