fresh apples | Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps

Posts Tagged ‘fresh apples’

Fresh Picked Apples

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm), tagged fall, fresh apples on September 17, 2010| 11 Comments »

Guess what caught me by surprise? The ripening of the apples!

It is mid-September, apples should be of no surprise. We are also having cool, crisp nights with little breezes that hint at autumn. So, why not?

Our wild goose family made an appearance on the pond this morning. They had been gone for over a month. As I watched them splash and play I realized I had better pick some of the apples before there were no more pickens’ remaining! The geese love apples.

We have another apple tree above the pond that produces golden delicious apples. I never get to them before they ripen. They are ready earlier in the season, when the geese and their young are still on the pond each and every day.

I do not know the variety of the apples I picked today. They are very crisp and tart. They aren’t the prettiest apples in the world, but let me tell you, they make absolutely wonderful pies.

Are you ready for fall?

I think I’ll sit outside late this evening with a steamy cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet, the stars, and the coolness without the threat of mosquitos. I would love to stretch this perfect time of year out a few more months!

Enjoy!

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Healthier Crust Apple Pie

Posted in All In A Day's Time, tagged apple pie, fresh apples, In The Kitchen - Recipes, lower fat pie crust on September 26, 2009| 7 Comments »

In my post yesterday I walked around the farm and took pictures of fall growth, including our apples. I said something about putting the diet aside and making a pie. My good friend Debbie asked, “Can I come and pick all the apples off your tree? I’ll make you a pie :)” Oh yeah, bless her heart! I had a wonderful giggle, it was a beautiful thought. The pie was already cooling.

: Preparing Apple Mixture For Pie

Aren’t these pretty? Pretty and already smelling luscious!

This is what went into the apple pie filling:

6 to 7 medium tart applies (peeled, cored, and sliced)

3/4 C sugar

2 T flour

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t butter or margarine

1 to 2 T lemon juice

Mix all ingredients well.

Set aside.

Healthier Pie Crust (one crust):

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t sugar

1 T milk

1 T white vinegar

1/2 C canola oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Mixture will be thick.

Press ingredients into a 9 inch pie pan.

Pour or spoon in pie filling.

I baked at 400 degrees, 60 minutes (for the apple pie recipe above). Baking time will vary depending upon apple variety. Bake until the apples are tender.

My exceptions:

The pie crust mixture is thick. I try to crumble it evenly around the pie pan before I press it down.

This recipe will not make the type of pie crust that can be rolled out. To make a top crust, sprinkle crumbles evenly to coat the top of filling and press down as well as possible.

You can ue 2 T of milk in the crust recipe (and drop the vinegar), but I find vinegar makes for a lighter, flakieer crust. You cannot taste the vinegar in the finished product.

The pie does brown evenly, and it cuts as well as a normal pie (with a standard rolled out crust), once cooled. It tastes wonderful! I cannot tell the difference at all! Crust will always have more fat in it than we would like, but forget the shortening or lard! And besides…it ain’t too sinful to have a (healthier) indulgence now and then…is it?