Apple Picking by Gerri Brousseau

If you are a tried and true New Englander there are a few things, traditions if you will, that you take part in each autumn.  One of those activities being apple picking.

Every autumn, I drive out to a local orchard to go picking.  As soon as I get out of the

car, the smell of the drying leaves of autumn and the tart apples assault me.  The sun shines on my face, yet the crisp, cool air makes it the perfect time of year for such an outing.

The first time I ever went picking, I was surprised to find this a fun filled family event, as children's laughter danced among the trees.  [image error]As I walked among the rows of gnarled trees, bent over and weighed down with the bounty of tart or sweet red fruits, searching for the perfect apples to put into my homemade pies and crisps, my mouth waters in anticipation.  Most farms offer a discounted rate for bags of apples that have fallen to the ground.  I find these useful in making homemade applesauce, but when picking those up, watch out for the bees.  (The applesauce puts up nicely in canning jars.)  Some farms offer baked apple treats and cups of fresh apple cider, for a price which is generally affordable.   This is a wonderful day spend with family, enjoying fresh air and sunshine, and although you are not smelling the roses, you are smelling and tasting the fresh apples.  And believe me when I tell you none taste better.

Of course, my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and when I get home I often find I have more apples than I can use.  One year I purchased a food dehydrator and made some really nice dried apple rings.  But I wonder how many things one can make with apples.  I have a delicious recipe for Apple Baked Pork Chops, a recipe for apple pie, apple cake, apple crisp, caramel apples and apple fritters, but what else can one make with the bounty of apples I'm sure to bring home?

Do you have any great recipes for apples?  Do you have any family traditions such as apple picking you would like to share with us?  I am not going to list my recipes here, but if you would like one of them, please let me know in your comment and I will be delighted to send it to you.

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