After several years of either no apples or poor apples, this fall has been amazing in its abundance of the juicy red (and Yellow) fruit.
Today, with the GK's to help, we hit the apple trees hard. I worked the ground while Keith crawled up in the tree.
Tossing apples to the GK's who sorted out the good, the bad and the ugly we had several boxes and pails ready to go...to go to our basement for winter storage, to our daughter-in-law the chef for pies (we hope) to my sister as a bribe for watching the GK's while we went to brunch in the am, and to the pigs.
The chef will get the best of the best, we'll get those almost as good and the piggies will get the rest. Many of the apples on the ground have already been half eaten by the horrible yellow/orange lady bugs that had bombarded us this October, which means they'll be partially decomposed and even easier for the pigs to chew.
Plus the hogs will get the added benefit of the ladybug proteins!
It's amazing, talking about the apples still up in the tree, that so few show any pest gnawing at all considering that we never spray any kind of pesticides on our property. They are big, firm and oh so sweet! Even Ashland the Shepard had to chew up a few.
Our biggest dilemma is what to do with them all. Applesauce? Apple butter? Apple Jelly? Apple pies? Taffy Apples? Decisions, decisions.
Sounds like here. The horses get the majority, whilst we eat lots of crumbles, and wait for the last ones in the trees (which are always perfect) to be put away for winter. Yum.
ReplyDeleteCro, oh yeah, I forgot our horses get lots too. And I did notice the higher ups are more perfectly formed. Why is that?
DeleteClearly a good apple year just about everywhere. Here in Derbyshire, England it has been a good year too (last year's was terrible for us) Now we all have the "problem" of what to do with them. nice problem! My godson has made cider.
ReplyDeleteLooks a great harvest! Any idea on the variety that they are? You could dry some as well and have them as a snack.
ReplyDeleteKev and now you people want me to dry them to? Good grief. Last time I ask for input
DeleteFrugal...Cider? I did not think of that one. Is it hard to make? Hard to store? I guess I have some research to do.
ReplyDeleteWe also need to thank those hard working honey bees you have and give them a few. My parents trees were loaded also. We currently have about 60 quart of applesauce canned. Several different kinds. Pumpkin pie spice added, cinnamin added, nutmeg added, no sugar added and sugar added. I would recomend getting a victorio strainer for apple sauce. It requires no peeling and if you would like to use ours I'll bring it down on the next milk run which will be soon.
ReplyDeleteYes please! If you are done with it for this season and I'll certainly take good care of it. Once I learn what a Victorio strainer is!
DeleteYour photo of the apples drew me in but the pictures from around the farm absolutely charmed me.
ReplyDeleteWell that's me...a real charmer. Seriously you're very kind. We do love your farm . So much so it is for sale!
DeleteI love the pig pic!!!! *Snort*
ReplyDeleteApples look delicious!
Ah thank you Paisley. Those pigs will ALWAYS come right up to the camera and stick their nose in my business. hysterical
DeleteI had a German Shepherd called Sabre. I could not eat an orange in front of him. He would sit there in front of me with a loopy grin on his face slavering like a Nile crocodile until I gave him it. Seeing your dog eating apples reminded me of him.
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