I love the special fragrances that fall brings – the smell of autumn leaves and the crisp bite of cool air in the morning, the scent of a fire in the backyard fire pit and smoke stinging your eyes and nose as the breeze blows your way; the earthy smell of pumpkins on the vine; and especially pumpkin pie baking in the oven – although we don’t save pumpkin pies just for fall!
And then there’s the smell of apples cooking! My grandmother had an apple tree that had amazing red apples my cousin and I loved helping her pick. But, oh, the aroma of the applesauce my grandmother would cook…and the succulent apple pies!! It seems like there was always one cooling on the counter in the fall. And thanks to her foresight, we had applesauce year-round when we visited.
For me, fall always conjures up thoughts of apples and all the wonderful desserts and the awesome things you can make with them – apple cider, apple butter, baked apples, apple cake, apple turnovers, applesauce and caramel apples. I’m sounding a bit like Forrest Gump, here, but my mouth is watering as I’m thinking of all the delicious things to make with them. After all, apples are good for us. They are loaded with antioxidants, fiber and Vitamin C. Tastes great and it’s good for you- a total win, in my opinion!
Although not native to North America, the apple is grown in most states where the weather is cold enough. I have lived in Washington and I was floored with the superior flavor from local apples (New York apples are just as awesome). I’m confident they are far better than the ones brought over here in the 17th Century by colonists. They could grow only the “common apple” or crab apple before Reverend William Blaxton planted America’s first apple orchard in Boston in 1625.
I’m fairly sure the colonists used a lot of sugar to sweeten the tart apples they grew and that they enjoyed apple pies, apple sauces and other appealing apple goodies, According to what I’ve read they made some darn good cider and apple brandy from those apples, as well (although perhaps not so good by today’s standards).
When you think about it, the colonists had the first Victory Gardens, because with all the hardships and challenges from the weather and environment they endured, I would think anything they grew successfully was a victory.
One of the desserts the early colonists made from their apple harvest is called Apple Tansy. In addition to apples, it uses goods they produced, like eggs from their chickens and heavy cream and butter from their cows. The recipe was in the first cookbook ever produced in America, The Compleat Housewife: or the Accomplish’d Gentlewoman’s Companion. Written by Eliza Smith and published in England in 1727, it came to the colonies in 1742.
You can purchase a copy of the cookbook on Amazon for $19.95. It has a five-star rating and evidently is as popular now as it was in colonial America for women who wanted to keep up with fashion and food in England.
To make it, you start out by coring 2 to 3 Pippin or other tart cooking apples. Slice them thinly and to be more like the colonials, use your cast iron frying pan to fry the apple slices in about 3 tablespoons of butter. While they are cooking, mix and beat together 4 large eggs, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of rose water (or vanilla), ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it) and two tablespoons of sugar. Once the apple slices begin to soften and brown on the edges – about five minutes – pour the egg mixture over the apples and cook for about three more minutes until the bottom sets. I imagine the colonials turned the tansy over like you would an omelet since they didn’t have an oven broiler, but it’s a lot easier to just stick it under your broiler for about three minutes to brown it. As the original recipe says, turn the tansy “with a pye plate” for serving, sprinkle sugar and fresh lemon juice over the top, and garnish with thinly sliced lemons. Yum!!
I have a friend who lives in a former apple orchard, and every fall the residents are invited to pick apples from about a hundred trees. They are old trees, she says they aren’t fertilized or cared for properly, but the apples are quite good, Rest assured, some good baked apple desserts are at her house in the fall.
One of them is the fried apple hand pies like her grandmother made. Her “big mother” used apple slices from apples in the old Pippin apple tree growing in her Victory Garden. She would dry about half a bushel of apples every fall over a period of several days in the sun. The dried apples kept for several months or until they were all used up, making those delicious pies. The secret to the goodness, my friend thinks, is the lard she fried them in, giving the pastry a crispy texture. Another secret is using dried apples that you prepare or purchase from an apple farm. Those you buy in the grocery store are probably not going to give you the same result.
She remembers her grandmother cooking the apples down with sugar and cinnamon then rolling out the dough for each pie, plopping some apple mixture in the middle, folding it over, and using a fork to seal the edges before popping them in the hot melted lard. “She made these just as regularly and naturally as the biscuits she made daily for their big noon meal, which they called dinner,” she recalled. Supper was leftovers that might end with an apple hand pie for all (Call me what you want- but don’t call me late for dinner!).
There’s an excellent recipe that uses Crisco shortening just like my friend’s grandmother did at the Southern Food and Fun website: https://southernfoodandfun.com/grannys-fried-apple-pies/. I may try drying my own Victory Garden apples and make these (I’ll be scouting my local farmer’s market for apples). It’s such a great legacy to have when you are known for making something special.
A favorite apple concoction in my family is homemade applesauce – like Grandma McNair’s. I can almost taste it as I write. It’s an easy way to use apples when you’ve overbought (or over picked if you are fortunate to have an apple tree). Any variety can be used or a mixture of what you have. There’s no exact recipe, I just go by what I like. Chop unpeeled but cored apples. Add enough water to let them simmer until soft and mushy (about 15 minutes). Mash with a fork while simmering and keep adding water to get the consistency you like (we like ours a little lumpy). Add 1/2c (give or take) of sugar and your choice of spice if you like – we use cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, a little ginger and cardamom (typically just one or 2 but sometimes I’m feeling spicy!)
Another friend of mine enjoys making Caramel Apples with her crew. She states it’s easy and fun since the kids get to be involved. (It sounds like a messy good time at her house).
To enjoy her family’s favorite way to caramel an apple:
The first task is to wash the apples, twist off the stem, and put a craft stick in each apple. (Of course, the girls are saying their ABCs to each twist to determine the initial of the man they will marry)! Their next job is to remove the wrappers from a 14-ounce bag of caramels and put each square into the top of the double boiler. Next measure two tablespoons of milk to go with the caramels – usually at least one tablespoon ends up on the counter. Then they take turns stirring as the water in the lower boiler begins to heat up. Lots of supervision here, since we are dealing with boiling water. Once the caramel is melted and the milk well mixed in, the apples, held by the craft stick, go in to be dipped, covered and slathered with the delicious caramel. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long after they’ve been sitting on the waxed paper or parchment before those little hands start reaching for this almost perfect treat.
Another easy treat for kids to make is baked apples. We keep the outside goodness and don’t peel them, but I core them so that we have a large enough hole for the yumminess we put inside – butter mixed with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts. Then set them in a dish with about an inch of water and bake them at 375° for about an hour. My family loves these with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (Can I get an “Amen” for ice cream?).
Of course, apple cobblers are needed. Perfect for potlucks or just an after dinner treat. First, peel, core and slice the apples. Mix together ½ c of flour, ½ c sugar and go wild with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves (not really wild- but your creative spirit should be used) and stir it into your bowl of sliced apples. Next, fold in raisins and walnuts or pecans. Put all this into a prepared dish, pour milk just to cover (about a cup) over it all and bake at 350° for an hour. Delicious with whipped cream or ice cream (Yes, and yes!).
Apple Enchiladas are easy and so, so good! There are several recipes on the internet, but I think the first ones appeared in Southern Living Magazine. All you do is peel and slice four Granny Smith apples into quarters, cutting away the core from each quarter. Open two cans of Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls and separate the triangles. Starting at the wider end, wrap each apple quarter in a triangle, and place in a 9 x12 glass dish – oven-proof, of course. Melt a stick and a half of butter in a small pan with one cup of sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Now – the really interesting part: pour 12 ounces of Mountain Dew or other citrus-flavored carbonated drink over the rolls. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Every time I make these, I get rave reviews and a request for the recipe. Really, nothing could be simpler or easier than this recipe made with apples from your Victory Garden or from those you bought from your local apple farm.
Now if you overbought at the apple farm, or have a better than average crop from your Victory Garden apple tree, but no time to bake, apple cider is always a great option. It’s a fall favorite here and like so many of the recipes above, very easy (I like easy). Simply quarter about a dozen apples and put them in a large stockpot with a halved orange and about a half cup of brown sugar. Throw in cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice and whole nutmeg and then water to cover it all plus about two inches. After it comes to a boil let the apple mixture simmer, covered for two hours as the fall apple cider aromas permeate the house (just a bit of heaven on Earth, y’all). Then, after removing the orange half, mash the apples with a potato masher and simmer for another hour. All that’s left to do is strain with cheesecloth and enjoy!
Finally, nothing says fall in our Victory Garden like apple butter, and I like to make it for gifts at Christmas and to enjoy all year round. Peel, core and chop four pounds of apples and cook them for about 25 minutes with apple cider, sugar and lemon juice. Once ready, put the mixture in hot, sterilized jars and give them a 10-minute water bath. A recipe similar to the one I use is from Allrecipes and has a five-star rating: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229900/apple-butter-recipe/.
Attributed to Martin Luther – Even if I knew the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
So remember, sometimes the best life is not the easiest life, but a life that is full of family and friends and enough food to share dinner with when guests arrive.
Happy Planting!
DeeAnn
The Victory Garden Gal
“What to know about Apples” By Yvette Brazier Medical News Today
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267290
“History of the Apple Tree” By Kathleen Sonntag Garden Guides
https://www.gardenguides.com/79281-history-apple-tree.html
“what the colonial Virginians ate – apple tansy” By Tori Avey
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/what-the-colonial-virginians-ate-2/
“Apple” Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple#:~:text=Apples%20were%20introduced%20to%20North%20America%20by%20colonists,crab%20apples%2C%20which%20were%20once%20called%20%22common%20apples%22.