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| Miss Ruth Kellogg demonstrating correct postures for various forms of housework. 1921-26. Source: Div. Rare & MS Collections, Cornell U. Library |
Since my first trip to the orchard, I've been doing a little bit of this nearly every day. Peeling and slicing a few apples.
Some of the slices have been going directly into the freezer, lined up neatly on a tray. The following day, those individually-frozen slices are popped into a labelled bag, and the tray is used to freeze the next batch.
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| Can you see traces of pink? These are Macintosh. |
Come Winter, I hope to do some very nice baking with these beautiful frozen apples. Won't that make Winter a warmer, friendlier place to be?
Well, that's my plan. Here's hoping.
I'll let you know.
~~~
Meanwhile, there's been some Autumn baking with fresh apples. Mostly, I've been tinkering with one simple recipe, changing up and experimenting. Remember the accidental apple-cranberry bisconey?
Last week I tried making it again: with apples, no cranberries, less sugar, and lots of cinnamon:
It came out with a dense, moist texture.
Not bad.
And yesterday, I tried another riff: making the batter a bit richer and more cake-like, mixing a whole cup of cranberries into the batter, and then adding sliced apples to the top.
Again, quite different in texture and flavor. Again, not bad.
Very surprising the way some of the cranberries migrated to the surface, right over the apple slices.
How did they do that?
~~~
For a person who doesn't really cook much, I am having a lot of fun in the kitchen lately. And it's all because of this:
A small, nearby orchard with a wonderful array of apple varieties. Such fun choosing! Hmmmm...certainly the old familiar Macs I grew up with, but also, well, I'll try a few of these Spitzenburgs (could Thomas Jefferson be wrong? about apples???) and I'll add a few Winesaps, and some Rhode Island Greenings, and oh, I almost missed the Golden Russets, and...excuse me for a second, I'll just carry these out to the car and then I'll be back in for the cider.
Oh. The. Cider.
The gloriously fragrant, snappy-sweet cider.
I wish I could pour you a glass right now.
Come on over.
Seriously.
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It's a pretty place, this old orchard, where hard work - so often the backstory to "pretty" in a human-altered landscape - is evident everywhere you look.
The view also offers a nifty example of relativity!
I mean, look here:
Trees, right? An orchard full of big, fruitful trees.
But then you put those very trees next to a forest:
Whoa! Quite a shift in perspective, no?
And then, you put that forest into a forested landscape as far as the eye can see:
Relativity: just something to think about while you're peeling Autumn apples and keeping an eye on Winter.
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Oh - those look toooooo yummy :) Just what I feel like for tea - pity we live so far apart...
ReplyDeleteJust love the pic of the orchard, and of the forest behind, and of the landscape in it's entirety. Clever girl, clever pics :)
Certainly something to cogitate on whilst peeling apples. Now, I just need our new orchard to hurry up and start producing... ;)
You folks are really creating a little paradise there! If I ever have a chance to visit, I'll bring an apple cake ;)
DeleteWhat a beautiful post-content and photos : )
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Tipper! :)
DeleteYum! Yum! Yum! It all looks so good! I love apples! I had no idea you could slice and freeze them. That's cool! Your baked treats look delicious...especially the ones with cranberries! I wish I could grab a slice from the screen and eat it. It looks soooooo yummy!
ReplyDeleteI've never frozen apples before, but I read that it works well, so well see! I hope if I bake with them while they are still frozen they will retain a bit of their chunkiness. If not, I think they will still taste good :)
DeleteOh man, you made me go pour a glass of cider! We used to live in the midst of an apple orchard, and it was blissful to pick apples and drink the cider that came from them. You brought back some wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteI love your "relativity" photos.
Living surrounded by apple trees...what a lovely image!
DeleteBusy bee you are! All of your cakes turned out great! At least they sure do look good. I imagine they tasted wonderful. I bought some spiced apple cider last night that is to be heated on the stove for serving. Yum, yum, yum! Love apples! And the views over your way are absolutely fantastic! Have a fabulous Friday. Tammy
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking I'll make some hot spiced cider, but so far I end up just pouring another glass and drinking it cold! I'm going to try freezing a couple of gallons for winter, so maybe there will be hot spiced cider to take the edge off February.
DeleteOh my- I love apples--what a wonderful post. Your baking looks so wonderful- I can almost smell it! I'm going to look at the recipe. It would be so great to live nearby an orchard:)
ReplyDeleteThe photos are beautiful--
Vicki
Quinn, fresh apple cider is delightful and makes the store bought stuff pale in comparison. Your baked good looks amazing...bet it tastes wonderful with vanilla bean ice cream and a cider.
ReplyDeleteThe apple/cranberry variation looks perfect for the holidays! And, yes, I'll take a cup of that cider - thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat great photos Quinn! I really enjoyed reading your appley post and love the idea of you sitting there in your long dress and apron peeling apples each day ;o) xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lucy - it's been a great year for apples, and now I have gallons of cider in the deep freeze.
DeleteI just wish I had Miss Ruth Kellogg's perfect posture! ;)