Fall Harvest

Fall has many meanings. It comes at the end of summer with vibrant colors on the trees, rusty gold, amber, scarlet,  and brilliant orange. It means harvest to the farmer and gardener; leaves to rake, the end of mowing the lawn, flowers in their last glory, and Indian Summer.

We are in the midst of harvest.

Unloading soybeans

 

The mixture of the wind noise and the tractor noise is overwhelming.

From the truck to the bin

We have had fabulous weather since last Friday and our harvest is fast coming to an end. Hubby started chisel plowing this morning and is now about ready to head out to combine again.

One of the other things harvest brings to our farm is a crop of small apples that are not crabs from a tree in our back yard. Our apple tree stands as a sentinel to three oaks in the back yard. It now stands bare with only a few apples clinging to the branches that are too high to reach. When Brian was home, he pulled out the ladder and headed out with a pail and filled it full of apples.

Remains of the apples

 The ones that Brian picked are now made into a delicious apple filling for pies and apple crisp. It’s a recipe I received from my friend Becca.

Apple Pie Mix

4 ½ cups sugar

10 cups water

1 cup corn starch

3 Tbsp lemon juice (Real works)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

Mix together and cook until thick and then cool

2 gallons of apples

If you use small apples just remove the seeds, slice in a food processor. No not cook apples.

Mix the apples and the mixture and fill large peanut butter jars, if you use the real large one you will make a 9/13 pan or a pie, the next size down makes an 8/8 pan. Be sure to make sure you use the amount of mixture necessary for the apples.

Freeze and thaw as needed.

Completed jar of apple mixture for 8/8 pan

For a 9/13 inch pan use the following recipe, use 2/3 of recipe for 8/8 pan

Apple Crisp Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 cup cold butter

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix

Spay 9/13 inch pan with Pam, add the large jar of thawed apples to the pan and spread evenly.

Top with topping and spread evenly. Bake 350 for 1 hour.

It is so tasty with pecan ice cream!

Oh, so tasty!

I think I will have to get a larger ladder and pick the rest of the apples so when winter is here we will enjoy this recipe even more. Thanks Becca for sharing!