Sunday, October 25, 2009

Oh, Applesass!

I dove into my big box of apples this morning and just now (nearly 4 PM) took the last batch of applesauce out of the canner. I can now say we have a nice supply of applesauce . . . and I'm pooped. You wouldn't think sitting, peeling, and prepping apples would be so exhausting!

I could have frozen the applesauce, which is less work, but then it's not very convenient when I spontaneously decide I want it as a side dish to a meal or to use in making applesauce cake or applesauce muffins or such. A frozen solid block of applesauce just doesn't cut it on the spur of the moment. I much prefer having it canned and a little more readily available.

When I started I had no intention of working up all the apples today but I had a good audio book on tape to listen to, Roy was working outside the whole time and before I knew it, I was more than halfway through so decided to go for it. I saved out a dozen apples as the man doing hard physical labor around here today has requested a pie, but the rest made 16 pints of sauce with a small tester dish left over. (And, no, sorry hon, but I'm not going to get the pie made today. Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow. Maybe.)

Good feeling to have them lined up on the counter cooling now and know they'll be on the pantry shelves for use this winter. I haven't canned applesauce for a few years and even though I kinda pushed on the project today, I'm glad I did it.

Now if I can summon up enough energy, I'm gonna stagger into my quilt studio . . . and pretend I've forgotten we'll be needing something to eat for dinner tonight.

"Applesauce, anyone?"

7 comments:

Erin said...

Well that is something we definitely do not get down here... fresh apples! There are a few trees, but most anything "local" here comes from the Blue Ridge Mts which are actually 6-8 hours away, too far for pickin!

Sue said...

Smart thought-canning it. I always freeze it, (lazy or just don't know HOW to can) and you're right-it's terrible when you get a craving for it and hafta wait.

Jody M said...

This is the first year I did applesauce, and I wish I'd done more. I could easily eat a jar a day, it was so good. I used Smokehouse apples and I'm thrilled with them.

Jo said...

I prefer canning too, it lasts longer and doesn't take up valuable freezer space. Hope you have one of those apple peeler/corer contraptions, they make handling apples whole lot easier! Oh, and is your post title meant to be read as 'apple-sass' or 'apples-ass'? Lol!

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Erin - Good apples in the fall will be something to look forward to when you get back to good, ol' Minnie-soda!

Sue - Yup, I'm looking at all those jars lined up on my counter today feeling pretty smug about having put the effort into the canning. (Plus my freezers are too full anyway!)

Hey, Jody - Last night, kinda for dessert after dinner, we shared the little left over dish of sauce I didn't can. It was soooo good! And like you say, I'm sure it was because of good apples. Roy commented that he thought he could open and eat a whole jar . . . but I didn't let him!

Hi, Jo - No! I don't have an apple peeler thingie! But I should. This morning I actually have some swelling between the first and second knuckles of the hand I held the vegetable peeler in yesterday. I must have stressed something!

"Applesass" is what my grandpa always said as a "swear" word whenever any of us kids were around. At the end of my marathon sauce making day yesterday, I felt more like "apples-ass!"

RuthieJ said...

Yum - looks delicious. I always freeze mine too since I'm the only one in the house who eats it. And that reminds me, I still have 3 buckets of apples in the garage waiting for my attention....

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Ruthie - What?!! You can't talk Sophie into eating some of the applesauce? ;o)