Happy Last day of Summer or “Apple Day”

 

We have 2 apple trees in our backyard, and they are LADEN with apples.  They don’t get sprayed at all, and are also a bit in the shade from a ginormous silver maple.. so most years we get tiny apples that rot on the trees/ground.

For some reason this year, while my new vegetable garden was a bust (no zucchinis,hardly any tomatoes, 3 onions out of 30 planted).. the apples were begging me this week.. “pick me, pick me!” 

So on this ‘last day of summer morning, as I sat on the deck for one of my last breakfasts outside.. I decided to go for it.

It’s 30+ Celcius here today in Southern Ontario.. you’d never know Fall was coming tomorrow.

I picked about 50-60 apples from the Red Delicious and MacIntosh trees.

I almost decided against it, as last night we came home with 2 gorgeous apple tarts (pies really)

from a silent auction held for  “Elisha House   [which] provides counselling for individuals, couples and families who are actively seeking God in the redirection of their lives.”  We heard some pretty raw and real testimonies at the annual fundraiser dinner.  While so very sad to know that there is such a great need for this, I’m thrilled that we have a few in our Region meeting these great needs.  (like Niagara Life Centre & Grimsby Life Centre)

Earlier in my own adult & teen life, I was in a couple of abusive & codependent relationships, and thankfully was able to get biblical counselling I needed at the time – and very grateful that there are even more resources today.

Back to the apples.. As I mentioned on Instagram.. they’re quite organic.

Meaning no sprays of any kind.. no ground treatment.. we let the apples fall to the ground usually and go back into the soil .  The last time these trees caught a whiff of spray was  close to 10 years ago, when the previous orchard behind us was last in full production.  So they’re small-ish, sometimes wormy, they get apple scab and brown rot.. but the majority this year are really not bad.  I came across a few ‘wigglers’ in the cores, but not enough to make me squeemish.

It was a great day to be set up outside.. with my bowl of lemon water bath, apples, knives and green bin bowl. I put on a podcast and got to work.

A few hours later I had filled 3 very large bowls with sliced apples, which were drained, and set aside.   I have 2 trays currently freezing in the chest freezer

2 large freezer bags in the fridge waiting their turn for freezing

and half of the crockpot being made into applesauce

One thing I had forgotten since the last time i peeled and cut this many apples.. is that it shows the true nature of my thumbs.. they’re not green, which may explain why my garden failed this year.. they’re ORANGE!