Apples to Applesauce

When Mike's sister Rebecca told us she had apples available, I jumped at the opportunity! We love applesauce at our house.

The day I chose to pick them was rainy/snowy and cold... the kids didn't last long outside before their fingers froze.

The apples are so yummy this year! We have all had our fair share of them, but I think Tyler takes the prize.
 

I found a nest up in the tree. 

 

I may have been a little over-zealous.... I came home with four full boxes, but there were still tons on the trees!

My sister Dana came over and helped me get started on applesauce. We quartered and cooked the apples to soften them, then put them though the Victorian strainer. 

What a contraption! As easy as it makes it look, it does take a lot of muscle.

Again, Tyler take the prize on consumption. He loves this stuff!

After about 12 hours in the kitchen, I ended up with 25 quarts, a sore and tired body, sticky everything, and I still have 1 1/2 boxes of apples left! Now what?! I'm not sure I have the gumption to start all over, although I probably have enough to make 12 more quarts.

Bulb Planting

October is the month to plant bulbs. I had a small cache from this trip drying in my garage all summer, and it was time to get them in the ground. The key is to get them in before the ground freezes, and it is vital for bulbs to have a winter dormant period, or a period of freezing for 6 weeks or more. 
 

They don't look like much mow.... just dried up old brown papery things... but they produce such beauty!

I tossed mine out it small clumps according to type. A bunch of tulips here, a few hyacinth there, a group of daffodils together... I figured that would look most true to nature. Ella is demonstrating planting technique: the bulbs need to be planted about twice as deep as they are tall.

And the wait begins!

White Grape Juice

A few days ago this sweet lady asked if I wanted some white concord grapes for making juice. My first reaction was I don't have a juicer! She assured me that I didn't need one, and when I picked them up she gave me a lesson in grape juice canning. It was a lot easier than I imagined!

Wash and stem the grapes. Fill quart jars with about 2 cups of prepared grapes. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar to each jar.

Fill jars to the bottom of the rims with water. Process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

She says the juice gets better with age, at least a few months... makes sense, like any grape juice. When ready to use, strain off the grapes and save the juice. She likes to mix in Sprite or some other carbonated beverage for a sparkling juice. She made some purple sparkling juice for us from her reserves and it was delicious! The kids gave it two thumbs up.

Pumpkin Picking!

Saturday was bright and beautiful, so we got outside and picked our pumpkins for the front porch!

Silly Ella, sitting on the little one. 

We ended up with about 15 pumpkins! A couple are still green so we're leaving them on the vine a bit longer. It's been so fun to have our own pumpkin patch!

 "Mom, this one is this BIG!"

We loaded up the wheelbarrow for a fun ride.

We also cut down some corn stalks to add to our fall display. I saw these selling for $8 a bunch at the grocery store, and thought, "Heck, I would have grown a packet of corn seed just to not pay that!" It's so nice to get things from my own backyard! On that note, if anyone else wants some I will share!

This one is my favorite. I love how they all turn out so different.

Happy Harvest!