There are a few things that Missouri and Kentucky have over Texas and one is apples! They may grow somewhere in Texas but so far, I haven’t seen any apple orchards around here. In Kentucky, less than 3 miles from our house was Reid’s Orchard. We moved to Kentucky on October 15 and that was the weekend of Reid’s Apple Festival. There were cars everywhere along the highway. The place was packed and we couldn’t figure it out but the next year, we attended the Apple Festival and never missed a year while we were there. It came to symbolize the beginning of Fall with the cool, crisp air and the sweet, crunchy apples, as well as the fantastic homemade cider. Reid’s has so many varieties of apples and I loved buying them by the bushel and making all kinds of apple products to can and enjoy throughout the year.
In Missouri, we had an apple orchard about 10 miles from us. The folks were old . . the old man had planted the orchard when he was young, and then his son had improved it and made it really nice. Then the son got sick and passed away, the old folks took it back over and it was way too much work for them so it was going downhill but they still had decent apples. I begged Vince to approach them and see if they would sell the place and we could fix it back up again, maybe have a bed and breakfast out there, but he had no interest in it and I guess it’s a good thing . . since we no longer live there.
I do miss fresh apples. Yesterday while at Wal-Mart, they had bags of little red apples for $2.99. I want to make spiced apple rings but need a hard, crunchy apple for that. I usually use Granny Smith but one year mom found some hard little Red Delicious apples and they made the best rings I’ve ever had. When I saw those apples at Wal-Mart, I was so hoping they would be hard and crunchy and I could make apple rings with them but when I cut into them, they weren’t crunchy at all and I knew they wouldn’t work for the rings. So, I made applesauce. Who doesn’t love homemade applesauce? I canned it in half pint jars so we can usually eat one jar in a day and not have to keep it in the fridge. I love heating up a bit of applesauce and putting it on top of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.
I didn’t add any sugar . . just a bit of cinnamon, so it has to be a pretty good snack. No preservatives. Nothing but apples and that bit of cinnamon! Three bags of apples produced 13 half pints of applesauce. I figure if I buy three more bags, that will mean we have enough applesauce so we can have one jar every two weeks. But, I’d like to put up enough to have one jar a week but who knows if I’ll get that much canning done. I could put it up in pints but we like it better when it’s first opened and hasn’t been refrigerated.
It’s all I can do to keep myself from opening one of those jars right now and eating it all by myself!
Karin says
that’s one thing I love about living in Washington, the apples are amazing! Unfortunately, the only apple tree we personally have, grows mealy unflavorful apples, but it’s probably a 60-70 year old tree and starting to rot from the inside out 🙁 But, we have such a huge variety of local apples available in stores right now, love it! Ohhh, and fresh apple cider should be coming soon too, NUM NUM!
pdudgeon says
i know what you mean! i love having fresh apples in the Fall. I’ve got two bags in my fridge right now–one bag for some apple crisp and the other bag is for eatting fresh apples as a snack.
I also discovered hard cider this year, and now i keep 6 pack in the fridge so i can pop one open whenever during the week, as well as on weekends when I watch football games on TV.
the hard cider is crisp and cold and tastes a lot better than beer any day.
Roberta says
We have a good orchard near here, they have lots of varieties so you can choose the best for what you are doing now. Do you every eat the applesauce on top of breat and butter??? Love that.
Hugs!!!!
Dar in MO says
I agree, this is a great snack., I love a warm piece of 12 grain toast, butter and lots of cinnamon applesauce on top, with a cup of tea. Yummy. Think I ‘ll go make one right now!!
Sophie says
They do grow apples in Texas, but growing up in another apple producing state, Michigan, I always found Texas apples a bit disappointing. They work fine for apple sauce (smart you!) or jams and jellies, but … they just don’t have the crisp crunch like apples that come from cooler places.
Mary in VA says
we have a young orchard with 9 trees in it and I’m looking forward to them producing in another year or two. While I’m waiting I go to the orchard about 20 miles away and pick bushels full. I haven’t missed a year since I moved here!
Diana in RR Texas says
Since we are heading to PA a week from tomorrow I am hoping we have room in the car coming back for apples. We will be driving through the orchards in VA around Winchester and then there are the orchards in Lebanon/Lancaster area. When we lived in MN we would head to the orchards near White Bear Lake. Yes, good apples are probably the one fruit we miss the most.
Nann says
There is a great little family orchard in our town, but the apple crop in Illinois is terrible this year. It was too warm in March, so the trees blossomed early, and it was too cold in April/May for the fruit to set. I went last weekend and all that were left were Romes — good for cooking, not so good for eating out-of-hand.
Lee Ann L. says
they grow a lot of peaches north of here (San Antonio area). I don’t know if Apples are grown in TX though. I am planning to get me a Fuji Apple tree as I know those can be grown in my zone. It’s going to be babied along for sure!
Pat McGuire says
Hi Judy,
My husband and I are in TX for the first time on a visit to our daughter in Ft. Worth. We are from northern CA in the redwoods, so the flatness of TX is amazing to us as we drive along. We are amazed how green it is this time of year. Right now in central CA it is bone dry, so expected that here too. I’m glad we are seeing part of this state so I’ll have a better picture in my mind when I read your blog. I visit it each day and love you city girl becomes country girl stories. I’m the reverse. Thank you for taking the time to write Patchwork Times.
Sue in Scottsdale, AZ says
I used to make fresh applesauce in the fall and like you I didn’t add any sugar, just cinnamon, but I haven’t made it in a long time. I would freeze it in “Tupperware Square Rounds” containers and it was just the right amount for 2 nice servings servings. I think I need to go buy some apples and make some. Your blog message has my taste buds salivating!!!!!!
Katie z. says
I’m so sorry you haven’t found food apples! We moved this summer, and hit the mother load of apples: two neighbors who no longer want their apples. I have 30+ quarts of applesauce: enough for 30 weeks with my kids.
Katie z. says
Ugh… Good apples!
Karen says
In New York state and in Northeast PA, we are having a hard time finding apples due to the warm spring in March and then the frost and snow in April! Have found some good ones, just takes going to several places to find what you want.
Ranch Wife says
We’re going to get apples next week. Like you, I like the Granny Smith – makes amazing apple sauce and the dried apple rings are just about our favorite. Plan on making a bunch to back with our boy. I bought apples while he was away and dried the rings to send in packages to Afghanistan. Kept that dehydrator going 24/7. My MIL swears by the Johnathon apples for pies and she makes a darn good pie. I have been very stingy about our last jar of applesauce, but now that apple season has arrived, I think we’ll pop it open and dive in.
Mariel says
Like others have stated, our apples in Michigan did not survive this spring season. It was warm and then frosted again and ruined the crops. But I’m here to tell you that if you can get your hands on some Honey Crisp apples they are just the best! They are both sweet and tart and crispy. Just real yummy!
JanetB says
Yum. We had baked apples tonight for supper with pork chops.
Susan says
I’m so lucky because Bulk Natural Foods comes up to Knoxville. In fact, I host a delivery for west Knox. I had an entire box of those firm Red Delicious – the first I’ve ever had that weren’t mealy, and the outsides weren’t waxed like at the store! I actually even ate a few, as well as making applesauce and canning slices. Now I’m contemplating what type to get for the next batch at the end of the month! Is there any such delivery of wonderful things near you? I got Concord grapes, too – oh, so yummy and such good grape juice and jelly!
Gwen says
Judy, check out Medina, TX. for locally grown apples. Their apples seem to be earlier than I think of apple time but they have a good crop when there is rain.
Rosalie says
I heard that there is an apple orchard in Llano, but haven’t checked it out. (Just googled it and found one in Llano but website not updated in 2 years, so don’t know if they are still in business or not!) There are apple orchards in Castroville area (SW of San Antonio). We have 3 apple trees here in the Hill Country in our garden, but they ripen in June and July – don’t remember what variety they are – planted them about 16 years ago.
Dar in MO says
Judy, Your apple sauce looks real good to me. I might have to make a small batch too. Thanks for the reminder.
Martha says
I made your Caramel Apple Jam today with Gala apples from the local orchard in Ballston Lake, NY.
House smells great and husband had some on ice cream when it was still warm! Thanks for sharing that recipe before!
YUMMMM!
Mel Meister says
Hmmm…. my local produce stand told me that the really good apples wouldn’t be out for a couple of weeks yet. I hope your applesauce turns out ok. You might want to wait a couple of weeks to buy more bags.
Deb says
We used to make apple sauce with Harelson apples, and add cinnamon red hots, then freeze it. Yumm, but we are off the sugar thing now, so we might have to just do some with cinnamon. Bummer, as that was one of my favorite snacks. I could sit and eat a 3 cup container! And it was so colorful!