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APPLE ORCHARDS in the spring in the valley – Franklin County, PA, USA

APPLE ORCHARDS IN THE SPRING - APRIL 2019

Rows and rows, miles and miles of blooming apple trees are plentiful in our valley during the spring…so BEAUTIFUL! Just take a ride and soak in nature around the country side, enjoy the lovely pink buds opening up into gorgeous white flowers tipped in pale pink. The end of this journey will result in lovely various nutritious produce – delicious local PA apples. Eat the fruit raw or cooked, sweet or tart, red or gold – APPLES, APPLES, APPLES!

APPLE ORCHARDS IN THE SPRING - APRIL 2019
Beautiful APPLE BLOSSOMS after a spring rain in Franklin County PA

Rows and rows, miles and miles of fertile ground and blooming APPLE TREES

An apple crate awaiting the collection of delicious Franklin County APPLES later in the year

Below are two recipes using apples:

Homemade Applesauce: Directions to cook applesauce in a crock pot:

  • Scrub, quarter and core apples (I do not peel to retain more nutritional value and I don’t mind if the applesauce is not totally smooth; but, if you wish, peel to make silky smooth applesauce.)
  • Cut into similar sized chunks, place in the pot, do not add water (add spices is you wish)
  • Cook for 4 or more hours on low. (To make apple butter, it takes 10 hours or longer.)
  • When the apples are breaking up and have a mushy texture, it’s time to blend with an immersion blender to make applesauce

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make applesauce to have fresh eating all year round. ENJOY!

Cherry Apple Crisp

Apple Cherry Crumble:  Apples and Cherries together make this a wonderful dessert. The difficulty is trying not to eat the fruit before you make the crumble. The colorful beautiful presentation is a bonus for this healthy crumble delight!

Serves: 6 || Prep Time: 20 minutes || Cook Time: 25 minutes
5 baking apples (5 cups), peeled and cored, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 medium lemon (juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
3/4 cup fresh or frozen cherries (no need to thaw)
1-2 tablespoon date sugar or maple syrup (to taste)
5 (3-inch) pieces crystallized ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granola

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Preheat oven 350°F. Prepare apples then place into a non-stick ovenware dish. Add remaining ingredients (except granola); gently combine. Crumble the granola over the top, bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 154  Cal from Fat 9, Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 8mg, Total Carbohydrate 35g, Fiber 4g, Total Sugars 23g (includes 11g added sugars), Protein 2g

ENJOY PLANT BASED EATING WITH APPLES!
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Pennsylvania Apples

PA Apples

FALL is in the air, that means Pennsylvania APPLES! Did you know that PA is the 4th leading state in the United States which produces APPLES? Furthermore, Franklin County is the 2nd top producer of apples in PA (after Adams County). Aren’t we lucky to live in this fertile valley and have fresh fruit available many months of the year! Beautiful orchards lined with rows of apple trees grace the landscape.

Rows of PA Apples
Rows of PA Apples

Beautiful PA Fall APPLES
Beautiful PA Fall APPLES

Apples are raised to use for the fresh market as well as for processed products. For us Pennsylvanians, fresh locally grown apples can be found in September and into the winter months.

HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE IN A CROCK POT.
Many varieties of apples are available…today we will be making applesauce with Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Cortland. But use any variety which satisfies your taste buds. I like to mix one sweet type apple, like Golden Delicious, with various other apples to give the applesauce more complexity. Of course there are a variety of methods to cook apples but the day the video was shot I had purchased a number of bags of seconds so I used a large slow-cooker (crock pot) to cook up a batch of applesauce.

Directions to cook applesauce in a crock pot:

  • Scrub, quarter and core apples (I do not peel to retain more nutritional value and I don’t mind if the applesauce is not totally smooth; but, if you wish, peel to make silky smooth applesauce.)
  • Cut into similar sized chunks, place in the pot, do not add water (add spices is you wish)
  • Cook for 4 or more hours on slow. (To make apple butter, it takes 10 hours or longer.)
  • When the apples are breaking up and have a mushy texture, it’s time to blend with an immersion blender to make applesauce.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make and freeze applesauce to have fresh eating all year round. The video is a few years old but I still use this method. ENJOY!