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Garden Gate:  Apples  |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 15 2014 : 12:10:48 PM
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Does anyone besides me love Apples? The past few years, I have been reading about apple varieties and trying new recipes with apples. This blog post is for us to share what we love about apples and also some of your favorite ways to eat them. If you own apple trees, please tell us about what you grow and how you use them.
So, to start things off, I found this darling children's song book from 1950 and one of the first songs is this one on Apple Picking!
Here is me a few years ago at Mercier's Apple Orchard in north Georgia picking apples. I love to pick apples and fill up a basket! 
Here are some apple facts I learned from a recent book I read The Best Apples to Buy and Grow.
1. In 1905, the US Dept.of Agriculture published a report by W.H. Ragan, who listed 17,000 different apple names for about 14,000 distinct varieties!
2. Apple cultivation began here in North America with the settlement in Jamestown in 1607. Settlers had brought seeds and cuttings from the best European stock to plant in their new land.
3. In the mid 1780s-- Thomas Jefferson boasted in a letter from Paris to James Madison that France had no apples to compare with the NewTown Pippin in Virginia.
4. John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, propagated apple trees from seeds from western Pennsylvania across Ohio and Indiana. These trees gave rise to apples ,such as "Winter Banana", that were unique to the growing condition of North America as early as 1836.
5. Queen Victoria in England was gifted with two barrels of Virginia's Newtown Pippins in 1838 and was so impressed that she lifted the English tax on imported apples.
6. The golden age of apple raising quickly ended in the 20th century when rail shipping was so inexpensive that orchards could distribute apples easily and all year around. Home orchards disappeared and smaller orchards in the east went out of business. By the 1920s, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious became mass produced and took over the markets.
7. Apple production today in the US produces about 48,000 tons of apples from apple growers in 36 states. Now that is some apple growing!!
8. Many growers are working to bring back heirloom apple varieties. If you live in a state where apples are grown, there may be opportunities to taste and pick some of these lost types.
There are so many delicious ways to use apples, but one of my favorite is to just bake them in an apple baker. All you do is core an apple, fill with a mix of brown sugar, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon, put a pat of butter on top and a few tablespoons of water in the dish and bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until nice and tender. They are so easy to make and taste great hot or cold the next day!
What can you share about apples? Do you have a favorite variety that you get every year which is not in the regular grocery stores?
Does anyone make their own apple cider?
Please share any and all apple stories here!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2014 : 2:40:57 PM
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Winnie,
I love them that way too ... still have my pottery baking bowls for them. But I have to say my all time FAVORITE thing with apples is Apple bread. I can 't wait to bake some ... ooooooh so good.
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
www.whitesheepfarm.com
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2014 : 4:14:56 PM
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growing up, my Mom would slice up a bunch of apples, and fry them in bacon grease with a touch of brown sugar, along with scrambled eggs for a great Fall breakfast on the farm...here where I live, every Fall we go up to the u-pick apple orchards, pick several bushels and make applebutter, apple pies, eating apples, apple crisps, and of course fryed apples...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4188 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4188 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 03:17:31 AM
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We have nine apple trees in our orchard. All different varieties. We only have 1 old original tree left though. We use a steam juicer to make raw apple cider. I looked it up one time to see what to actually call it. Though an apple press would be easier and get more of the juice out of the apples. But it is what we have and it works. Come apple season, we make all kinds of recipes. Also freeze them. The animals get the wind falls. My favorite recipe is making apple fritters.
just a girl farming in WI
Michele |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 05:31:03 AM
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Ohhh, so many great apple ideas here!
Teri~ your apple bread does sound good. Maybe you can post the recipe when you make your fist batch for the rest of us? There are always many out there, but it is good to try one that comes with high ratings!!
Tina~ I know what you mean about the annual trek to the apple orchards for getting lots of varieties to take home and work with! It is a tradition that makes me excited every year even if I have to drive a day or two to get to the apple orchards!! LOL!!
MIchele~ How lucky you are to have some many apple trees in your yard to enjoy! What kind are they? Gala, Red Delicious, Jonathan?? Your homemade apple cider sounds delicious. I bet you heat up a cup with a cinnamon stick and enjoy it on the porch in those early fall eves!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 07:32:51 AM
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Wow, this does look totally Awesome! I will be making some as soon as we get this year's apples in the store which is usually mid- September. Locally, we can count on apples from Michigan to be shipped this far south in September. Thanks for sharing!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
5114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
5114 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 07:36:59 AM
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Winnie, as a piano Player, I adore that songbook! I love the Apple facts! New Town Pippin is one of Martha Stewart's favorite! I too love Apple anything!! The Farm stand near my home, will have several kinds to chose from. I love Apple Butter and my Aunt Anita's Applesauce-Raisin Bread! It is a favorite among our whole family!
OOOOOOOOOO another reason to love FALL!! Spiced Cider!!!
Hugs! Connie
Imagine....#3392
Farmgirl of the Month, August 2014 |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 2:46:39 PM
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Connie, I wish I could hear you play the Apple Picking music on your piano!! I've been wondering what the tuns sounds like. Ditto on loving all things Apple. And your Aunt Anita's Applesauce-Raisin bread sounds delicious too. Do you make it?
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2879 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2879 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 3:25:02 PM
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Winnie
I love that old song! Where did you find it??
Teri, that recipe sounds delish, and similar to a recipe that was in a chapter header of a novel I read recently called "The Apple Orchard" by Susan Wiggs. This is such a fun book, lots of food, ambience, some cheesy sharp cheddar romance, and recipes at the front of most chapters.
I have made this recipe countless times, and love it, as I am not a big sweets or cake/bread eater, and this recipe is low on both of those.
It is called Aeble Kage or Danish Apple Pie
No spices necessary, if apples are fresh.
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 t baking powder
dash salt
1/2 t vanilla
2 cups diced apples, peeled and sautéed in 1 T butter until soft
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Beat egg, gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add flour, bp, and salt to create a smooth batter.
Fold in apples and nuts, then pour in a buttered and floured 8 in square glass baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350
If you are feeling naughty, top with this apple caramel topping
Caramel Apple Topping
4 sliced apples, no need to peel
4 T butter (no substitute)
Pinch nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 cup walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream or buttermilk
Melt butter in a heavy pan. Add sugar and swirl until melted. Add spices and apples and sauté until apples are tender. Add walnuts and stir. Turn off heat, and slowly add the cream. Serve immediately over above cake, or ice cream. Keep leftovers in fridge, and try not to eat late at night.
Enjoy!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 4:13:58 PM
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Don't know all the words but I remember an old song "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree". We have quite a few orchards around here, they should be almost ready. I like the Empire apples I can get here at an orchard but I've gotten organic Jazz apples at the store and they are the best--sweet and tart and crunchy. I like apple crisp and apple pie and baked apples--heck, is there anything apple that isn't good?
Cindy
"Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free; And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun. and cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done"--Loreena McKennit
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 4:50:07 PM
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Lisa, the song comes from this vintage book I found titled The New Singing time by Satis N. Coleman and Ruth Carroll, copyright 1950. There are so many old children's songs and the illustrations, as you can tell, are just adorable! Your Danish Apple Pie sounds fantastic. Sure wish I had a slice at the moment!!
Prairiehawk, I had eaten Empire apples before and they are good. Like you say, sweet/tart and crunchy!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2014 : 8:51:06 PM
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Another quick way to fix apples that I found in the Oprah magazine is to slice an apple into rings (after coring), then sprinkle grated cheddar over the apple rings, drizzle with (local) honey and warm in the microwave. Simple and delicious.
Cindy
"Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free; And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun. and cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done"--Loreena McKennit
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
5114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
5114 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2014 : 07:30:11 AM
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Winnie, Gathering Apples is a snappy little Tune! I can see it enough to read the music! I will cop it from here later. If you or anybody wants my Aunt Anita's Applesauce Raisin Bread I will post it here, It is super moist! I have been making it for about 25 years! I give it to my neighbors at Christmas and for other Occasions. It makes a big Cake, I use my Great Aunt Mattie's Tube Pan.
There is a Song called, "Don't sit under the Apple Tree with anybody else but me!"
Hugs! Connie
Imagine....#3392
Farmgirl of the Month, August 2014 |
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stephaniesmith
True Blue Farmgirl
58 Posts
Stephanie
Independence
MO
USA
58 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2014 : 09:14:46 AM
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There are lots of great apple recipes here. I'm jotting them down to use later.
My little Josephine loves apples. They are her favorite food. But only green ones and yellow ones. She will not touch red ones. She is 3, after all. :)
http://www.bystephaniesmith.com
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13634 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13634 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2014 : 1:26:26 PM
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Winnie,
My dad was an exceptional orchardman, which included several varieties of apples. He's been gone now for 17 years and the orchards and the rest of the farm sold. We KNEW and WORKED and ATE APPLES! LOVED THEM . . .still do!!!
There is absolutely no match to the flavor of homegrown apples!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2014 : 4:31:58 PM
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Wow, CJ, that is so neat! What kinds of apples did your father grow out there in Colorado? You are so right, there is nothing like homegrown fresh apples. That is the reason I love to go to places that allow you to pick your own. You get to see which nice pretty beauty is going into your basket.
Connie, that recipe from your Aunt sounds too much for me. I don't make cakes anymore with just the two of us unless it is a small loaf cake. But, it sure sounds delicious. I am excited you could see the music on the photo and play the tune!! I wish I could have been there to hear it. Too fun!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13634 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13634 Posts |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13634 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13634 Posts |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 07:36:17 AM
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Gosh CJ, what a wonderful collection of fruit trees of all kinds! I sure would have loved some of his fresh cider!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
6608 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
6608 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 08:22:03 AM
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Oh sweet Winnie I know how much you are an apple girl, I still remember our first swap together a few years back. It was a fall swap and I got lots of apples goodies from you, like you I love, love apples. Love the pictures.
Have a beautiful day everyone.
Hugs
Debbie
"BE KIND TO PEOPLE BECAUSE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW IS ENGAGED IN REALLY TOUGH BATTLES."
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Edited by - Blessed in Colorado on Aug 18 2014 08:22:59 AM |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 10:58:08 AM
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Hi Debbie~ I do love this cute little photo you posted. That is my pretend apple farm!! LOL!! Yes, I am not sure why I love apples so much, but I just do. Speaking of that swap we did a few years back, your dishcloth that you embroidered me with the apple and apple pie is currently in use in my kitchen. So adorable!~
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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auntjenny
True Blue Farmgirl
277 Posts
Jenny
San Luis Obispo
CA
USA
277 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 12:59:48 PM
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Oh how I love apples! We have one small apple tree here, a gala. But...ee live not too far from a wonderful place, See Canyon, where there are many apple farms. Wont be long now until apple eason here!
Inside me there is a skinny girl crying to get out, but I can usually shut her up with cookies. |
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notathreatinsight
True Blue Farmgirl
626 Posts
Erin
Monroeville
IN
USA
626 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 1:45:23 PM
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That song sheet is so cute Winnie! We just planted 2 apple trees this year. A granny smith, and a pixie crunch. My husband grows everything and I process it. I am no good with plants, and it makes me so sad :( but he let me pick the pixie crunch tree because I love pixies so much. They won't produce for probably another couple years at least but we're planning to add a couple each year until we have a decent amount. I love to make apple butter, but I have never picked them myself. We usually just find someone selling them at a local orchard. I'd love to pick them one year though!
Erin
Farmgirl #3762
May my heart be kind, my mind fierce and my spirit brave. - Kate
Forsyth
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6606 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6606 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2014 : 5:57:28 PM
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Erin, good for you for starting your first little orchard of apple trees! It will be fun to see them grow up and become a part of your life while you add more to get a small orchard going. Apples have beautiful Spring flowers, all full of bees, and then the apples growing all season while you dream up apple pies and apple butter recipes to try. For sure when your apple produce, you will get first hand at picking them. Sounds exciting and thanks for sharing!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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Garden Gate: Apples |
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Apples
