An apple a day...

We are back and we are so happy to be blogging again.  We know, we know, we know, we've said this before.  You must forgive us for our long absence. Summer is here and life is quite busy.  We have been working very hard on getting our recipes in order for our cookbook.  This has kept us busy, but we've missed our friends all around the world as we develop our ideas for the blog and the cookbook.  

So here we are, ready to do our research and give you all sorts of information on the ins and outs of preparing foods with style, fun, and enthusiasm.  

It's August now, and that means we are at the height of Summer.  The harvest has just begun and your neighborhood farmers' market has potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and onions, not to mention sweet corn. In about another month we will start seeing acorn squash, and bushels of all our favorite root vegetables.  That can only mean that canning season will soon be upon us.  

Possibly the most popular fruit will also become available.  Namely, the every popular apple.It may surprise some to learn that apples appear on the scene as early as June. Maybe you have an apple tree in your back yard, and maybe you've already seen apples getting ready for picking.  In any event, orchards will be busting with all sorts of apple goodness, such as apple cider, apple pie, baked apples and, of course, carameled apples. YUMMY!  

So today we are talking apples. Have you ever heard the expression, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? The expression originated in Whales. It's original wording is:

"Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread."

Truth be told, the word "apple" was once used to mean any fruit.  But not to be underestimated, the prolific apples is loaded with good things like Vitamin C. They also reduce tooth decay by cleaning one's teeth and killing off bacteria. It has also been suggested by Cornell University researchers that the quercetin found in apples protects brain cells against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease.

Statistics say that there are some 7,500 varieties of apples in the world. That's a lot to choose from when planning to make a pie or a crisp or cobbler (We'll talk more about those deserts in a later post.)  We're not going to list all the types of apples here, but if you are interested, here's a list with descriptions.

With all the possible options for cooking and baking with apples, how do you know which to select for your dishes?  Even if all you know is that some apples are tart and some are sweet; some are softer, some are harder, you know enough to get started.  Apples can be sorted by baking apples and cooking apples.  Here's the breakdown for you.

As children we remember having apple butter from the store.  It was in a glass jar that was shaped like an apple.  It was always good on buttered toast.  So today we picked apple butter as our recipe.  It's easy.  A whole bunch of apples, a few seasonings, and a crock pot, that's all you need.

Homemade Apple Butter

Here's what you need:

8 lbs any kind of apples (feel free to mix and match)

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Here's what you need to do:

Peel and core apples, cutting them in large chucks.  Place apples in slow cooker.  Combine cinnamon, sugars and sea salt, then pour mixture over apples.  Set the slow cooker on high and leave to cook for 1 hour.  Then set the slow cooker on low for 8 - 10 hours.  Stir occasionally.  During the last hour remove the cover and continue to cook until the apple butter is thick.  Taste and adjust sugar and salt as needed to taste.

Allow apple butter to cool.  It can be put in jars and given as gifts, but make sure to keep some for yourself!!

Make good use of the apple season.  Find an orchard near you and pick your own.  Enjoy what nature has to offer.

Now, go out and make something good!