Applesauce

Applesauce, a photo by chloe & ivan on Flickr.
I woke up this morning and it came over me to cook all my apples.
So I did.
This small bowl is 8 apples, with a few bites out.
Apples really cook down.
There is a lemon in there, and a bit of water.
And you see the cinnammon stick.

Better be serious for a moment, there are 3 kinds of apples in this.
That is what makes it good. Always combine apple varieties.

Rule.
That is like
Word.
Combine apple varieties.
With lemon.

Apple butter

Finished the apple butter today, canned 4 jars for gifts, refridgerated 1 jar for me.  I made the apple butter in 2 stages, first cooked all the chopped apples in the skin and got applesauce,

That is a lot of mess for a bowl of applesauce!

Then that whole mess minus my bowlful was cooked again today, together with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and ground cloves.

Today the apples cooked almost all day.  They cook down and concentrate into spiced apple deliciousness.

It's a miracle.  The jars all sealed.  Well not really a miracle, it's science.

I get nervous waiting for the ping when the jars seal. Maybe you don't.

Four presents, the recycled jam jar full of apple butter is for me.

My favorite way to have apple butter is on whole wheat English muffins, with lots of butter or margerine.

             I bought English muffins in advance.
             This is so good.
             The texture is silky, the spices are apparent without being overwhelming.

             Practically perfect in every way.
             Not me.
             Not this kitchen.
             But the Apple butter is.
             I think I'll make some more.



Apples ready to pick at the orchard.

 

Better get some Christmas going around here

Better get some Christmas going around here, a photo by chloe & ivan on Flickr.

This morning I was in a panic about whether it was Tuesday or Wednesday.
Had to check online to verify the day.

I will have to keep tasting the cranberry liqueur to find out if it is ready.
We will see how much will be left to give away!
I am using the New York Times recipe, http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/6385/2004/04/18/Cranberry-Liqueur/recipe.html
Except
I poured the whole bottle of vodka in, instead of 3 cups.
I'm sorry, 3 cups of vodka wasn't going to make very many people merry.
Just thinking ahead.

After the tasting and the giving away, I will have quite a potent mash of cranberries left over.
Thinking.
I'm going to take the cinnamon sticks out.  It is cinnamony enough. 
I wasn't even sure I wanted to put them in.
I like Lemon peel in there better.
Now I will have vodka and cranberry soaked cinnamon sticks.
Thinking.
Think I will dump them into the apple butter.