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After a long haul outside last Sunday dealing with leaves on our 1/3 of acre, the family day was a total work day.
Then, we had community apples and made pies for the freezer. Hubby and I both come from families that did projects and cooking together. You are never too old or too young to help in the kitchen.
Many Hands
make Small Work!
Our island is perfect for Family baking, cooking, or prepping!
The apple peeler got a work out and so did the Grand, now 13. She was a star at peeling on our OLD crank peeler.
(OUR peeler peels, cores and spiral slices the apples nice and thin.)
Don't tell our Grand I posted this. LOL!
Short on time, we cheated this year and used purchased pie crusts for nine inch pies and couple of deep dish, too.
Here the Grand pokes holes for her signature, double hearts, in the crust for air holes,
We usually do a wheat pattern which was
Grandma Fern's signature.
Each finished pie is sealed in a bag and quickly frozen.
Here I am mixing Streusel for tops of a few pies. Hubby's and my favorite.
Top Crusts are great, but Streusel is a wonderful alternative. I use real Butter, Flour, Cinnamon, Sugar and Oatmeal in place of some of the flour.
This makes a hearty Streusel, and it crisps up extra nice.
Or, you can use nuts with the flour mixture for cakes, pumpkin pies, etc.
Frozen APPLE PIES
Recipe I've adapted from an old Betty Crocker Pie and Pastry book 1970ish.
9" Apple Pies.
Unbaked Pastry for top and bottom of pie, your choice.
5-6 cups of thinly sliced/peeled apples
(we use Gala or McIntosh)
We cut these into lemon water 1/3 cup to half large bowl of water, scoop the apples into drainer after a few minutes in the water.
(this keeps the apples from discoloring)
Sift and mix:
1/2 cup of sugar,
1/4 cup of flour,
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 TBSP of Cinnamon
and a Dash of salt.
Toss the apples in the mixed flour mixture until they are totally coated. Any additional mixture/juice in the bowl pour over top your apples when in the pie shell.
Heap the apples high in the center and off the edge so you can seal the top crust.
Dot the top of the pie with 3 pats or more of butter/margarine.
(This will melt and soak through the pie...and helps thicken the delicious juices).
After applying crust pierce generously across the surface for steam to escape, do your own designs.
Add your top crust or Streusel.
Streusel for 9" Pies, coffee Cakes, or Muffins.
1/2 Cup of flour (I've use unbleached, whole wheat or oat flour)
1/2 cup of uncooked oats, like for oatmeal
1/2-2/3 cup of Butter or Margarine
1/2 cup of packed Brown Sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon or 1tsp Ginger and 1 tsp Cinnamon
dash of Salt
Combine by cutting the mixture with a pastry blender until lumpy
I end up with fingers in there smooshing the ingredients together until it is a perfect crumble. Gently heap on the apples and press the streusel mixture in.
Good for one heaped 9"- 10" pie.
Baking Frozen Apple pies.
Place frozen pies on a cookie sheet.
Start in hot oven at 400 degrees for 30 min.
Turn down oven to 350 and bake until done at least an 1 hour-1 1/2 hours, check when juice begins to bubble from all parts of the pie, then it's done.
You can cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil half way through to avoid over browning.
WE MADE 11 PIES! My son had to take most home for his freezer, ours is full.
NUMMY, we serve warm slices of Apple Pie with Ice cream or non-Dairy topping.
We'll have fresh baked apple pies for Thanksgiving!
PS- We also made 7 pint jars of Apple Sauce and 3 pints of Apple Juice canned from the waste of peelings and the smaller apple cores.
An OLD REDO
Another great way to save $$$ is
simply cook the apple peelings and cores in a large kettle with a bit of water to keep from burning--simmer until the apples begin breaking down. Stir often. When cool run the mush through an old crank juicer with fine mesh. I ran my apple mush through about 5 different times until the waste was quite dry. All the seeds and core bits are pushed out for the compost pile. I strain the watery sauce to separate the excess juice and heat both the juice and sauce to a slow boil,
ladle into jars, add the lemon juice, and also put those jars in the canner to process.
Canning: add 2 tsp of lemon juice to each hot filled pint jar, add hot metal canning lids and process closed jars under boiling water for 20 minutes.
You can use a canner or a large pot with a spacer/trivet inside the kettle, so the jars don't come in contact with the kettle on the bottom or sides.
Since I had 10 jars, I did use my big canning kettle.
Unsweetened Applesauce is healthy and a great use of waste, and the juice will be great to add to many things!
Don't forget to compost the rest for healthy soil.
Enjoy!
What sort of Family Cooking/Baking
do you Do Together!?
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OldNewGreenRedo
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