Tag Archives: Fruits

Sep 19 2011

My Mom’s Apple Pie

Posted on by

I’d say this is the well kept family secret but can’t since we share this recipe with everyone.  This is definitely a family favorite.  I always loved it when I would walk home from school and the aroma of apple pie was in the air.  This is by far my favorite pie.  This recipe is also pretty simple and well worth it.  I made a pie last week with the apples off of our little tree and it was so good.  So good that I’ve made another pie this week.  Anyways here is the recipe and step by step instructions on how to make it.

 

Filling:

6 Apples peeled and cut into slices

3/4 to 1 Cup sugar (depending on tartness of apples)

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

2 Tbs flour

1 Tbs lemon juice (depending on tartness)

Crust:

2 Cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 Cup cooking oil (canola or vegetable)

5 full tablespoons COLD water

step 1

First step is to peel, core, and chop the apples.  I peel all the apples at once and then chop them.  That way it keeps the browning from oxidization to a minimum.  Each apple gets chopped into 8 pieces and then each of those slices gets chopped into quarter inch thick triangles.

step 2

Next step is to add the rest of the filling ingredients to the apples and mix.  My apples were tart so I used 1 cup of sugar and no lemon juice.  Put in a medium sauce pan and heat slowly on the stove (about medium low heat).  Meanwhile start putting the crust together.  Don’t forget about the filling give it a stir every few minutes or so believe me you don’t want the sugar to start to burn on the bottom of the pan.

This crust recipe is one of the most simple recipes I’ve ever come across.  Many people are picky about their crust and I’m one of them.  I love this crust because it is easy, flaky and taste good.  Once you try this you’ll never go back to cutting in butter or shortening and letting it chill.  You can also half this recipe for a one crust pie like pumpkin or pecan

step 3

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.  In small bowl combine the water and oil.  It’s important to know what is meant by 5 full tablespoons of water.  As you fill the tablespoon up with water continue to fill it until it is so full it makes a dome over the rim.  If this doesn’t make sense let me know.  Hey, by the way, Don’t forget to stir your filling.

step 4

After the dough had formed a ball split into two separate balls one slightly larger than the other. Slightly larger because the bottom crust is bigger than the top. Oh! And don’t forget to stir the filling.

Take the larger dough ball and place it between two pieces of wax paper.  Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it fits into your pie plate with extra over the sides.  Don’t worry if the wax paper starts to wrinkle just lift it up and smooth it out.

Take one side of wax paper off and flip the crust into the pie pan.  Push and position the crust until you have about 1 inch of crust hanging over the side of the pan.  Slowly peal back the wax paper trying not to tear the crust.  Don’t forget to stir the filling.  Roll out the top crust between the wax paper and set it aside.

By now this is what your apple filling should look like.  The sugar should look syrupy and the apples are starting to cook.  When the filling is hot and bubbly that is when it’s time to add it to your crust. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

After adding the filling to your bottom crust dot the top with a tablespoon of butter.  Before adding the top, this is very important, wet your finger with water and go around the rim of the crust.  This will help the top crust adhere better and you won’t have a mess in your oven to clean up. Take one wax paper off the top of the top crust.  Flip over and place over the top of pie.  Press the rim together and peel off the remaining wax paper.  Trim the crust until it is about an inch from the rim of the pie plate.  Fold under the crust to lay on top of the rim.  Using the two finger method crimp the edges.

 

 

 

 

Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.  I like to make a star or flower shape on the top.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden.  Take out of oven and place it on a rack until completely cooled. Serves 6-8 slices.

 

Sep 16 2011

Apples

Posted on by

Honey Crisp Apples

Apple season is finally here.  We planted this honey crisp apple tree about 5 years ago. This is the first year that we have had a good crop of apples.  We bought the tree bare root.  It was practically a little stick with roots.  After planting it in the fall we didn’t expect blossoms on the tree in the spring but there were.  No apples developed that year.  The next year there were no blossoms at all.  The third time a few blossoms and a couple of wormy apples.  The fourth year we were optimistic but because of a late frost that killed all the blossoms there were no apples.  This year has been good to us.  The tree blossomed and we had an abundance of fruit growth.  My husband was continually out there thinning them.  We have had to put braces up to keep the trees branches from falling and breaking with the weight.   I’ve sprayed it twice to try and keep the worms down.  Although we now see that I needed to either do it earlier or more often.  There are a number of apples with little worm holes in them.  Other than that there haven’t been to many things I’ve had to worry about.  Well that’s not true there is one pest that is causing my apples to disappear. They’re about 15 years old and one of them lives next door.  Yep that’s right it’s the pesky teenager.  For a couple of weeks we have been getting after our kids for eating the apples and leaving the cores in the road.  They denied ever doing it but we knew the apples weren’t eating themselves.  Well today I was cleaning my kitchen and heard a ruckus outside.  I turned around just in time to see three teenage boys eating apples and throwing the core into the street.  That’s right MY APPLES.  This pest wouldn’t be so bad had they come and got my permission but no they just take.  Well I guess I can’t blame them the apples look delicious and if I don’t say so myself are delicious.  It’s hard to pass by without wanting a taste.  I do like to make applesauce and pie filling every year.  Maybe this year I won’t have to beg my neighbors for apples.  I’ve made two apple pies so far and they have been the best apple pies.  Next time I’ll share with you a step by step apple pie recipe.

our little apple tree

 

 

Sep 8 2011

Grapes

Posted on by

Concord Grapes

We planted Concord Grapes 3 years ago and this is the first year we have had grapes.  Grapes usually have one season that they establish themselves and then produce the next.  Why did it take us 3 seasons?  We had an early frost last year that killed all the growth and the plant had to grow back from the roots.  We now know that grapes are very sensitive and need a lot of tender care if you want any grapes.  Last fall we mulched heavily around the vine and coved it in the spring if there was any chance of frost.  We only have 6 clumps of grapes this year but we are happy to just have grapes.  I don’t mind.  I need a juicer first so I can make jelly and juice.  This gives me at least another season to acquire the equipment before a big crop.  We haven’t picked them yet because you’re supposed to wait until the first frost for the sugars to set like you do for apples.  Plus they have just barely started to turn purple.

Sep 4 2011

Tomatoes

Posted on by

Early Girl Tomato

Tomatoes are an essential part of my garden.  I can whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, and spaghetti sauce.  So I have to have tomatoes growing in my garden.  We planted  8 tomato plants.  Two of the plants are a cherry tomato.  So far my favorite has been the early girl variety.  It’s a smaller tomato but ripens pretty early which is necessary for this climate.  Every year I’m on the search for a new favorite variety.  I would like the tomato to be a little bigger.  I planted 5 varieties.  There are 4 early girls, 1 super fantastic, 1 Sophie’s choice (heirloom), 1 currant cherry tomato, and 1 sungold cherry tomato.

Currant Cherry Tomato

First I’ll discuss the cherry tomatoes.  I plant at least one cherry every year because I like these in salads.   This way I don’t have to use my bigger tomatoes for my salads.  They also produce a lot sooner and you are able to have them during the summer.  I usually plant a sweet 100 cherry tomato.  I thought I would try something different this year.  Wrong idea.  I got the currant cherry tomato.  These are super small and don’t have a lot of flavor.  They are also difficult to pick.  They grow like a currant in big clusters and really close to the center of the plant.  The tomatoes on the bottom of the plant were the first to ripen.  In order to get to them I had to crawl on my hands and knees and stick my hand all the way in the plant to pick.  Even then you couldn’t tell if you were getting the right tomato because they were so closely clumped together.  Many times I would end up picking a green tomato instead of the red one.  So frustrating.  I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t even care if they get picked or not.

The other cherry tomato that I picked is called Sungold. This is a small orange cherry

Sungold Cherry Tomato

tomato.  We love this one.  It is so sweet.  This is the variety that we got a few years ago when we first started gardening and it single handedly convinced my husband that tomatoes aren’t gross. Sophia, my three year old, loves this one and we have to act quickly if we want any before she picks them all.  Definitely one we’ll do again.

The Super Fantastic variety was a mothers day gift from church.  I actually like this one.  It produces a lot of large tomatoes and taste terrific.  The only problem I have with this one is that it splits easily.  I think all the tomatoes that I’ve pulled off of there so far have split.  That’s okay if you’re using it for salsa but not okay for whole tomatoes.  This might be a variety I’ll try again since I do like salsa.

Sophie’s Choice variety I got on a whim.  I was looking for just one more tomato to plant and one that produces early and is larger than the early girl.  Saw this one and got it.  It was a little more expensive because it’s an heirloom tomato but so far it has done great.  The tomatoes are larger and don’t seem to have any splits but they are taking longer to ripen then my other tomatoes.  I just hope they ripen before the first frost in a couple of weeks.

Tomatoes are pretty easy to plant.  They are very frost tender so if you live in a cooler climate like I do you’ll need to have your tarp ready to cover them.  Tomatoes are also very easy to can and great to have in the pantry.  We use our whole tomatoes in soups, stews, casseroles, and even chili.  The key is to find the right variety that works for you.

Aug 17 2011

Huckleberry Muffins

Posted on by

Huckleberry Muffins

Here is an update on those huckleberries.  One of the things I decided to do was make huckleberry muffins.  I’m surprised that I’ve never had these before.  I like blueberry muffins but they aren’t my favorite.  So it seemed logical to substitute huckleberries instead of blueberries.  These turned out great and I now have a new favorite followed closely by lemon poppyseed.  One thing I don’t like about blueberry muffins is that they are often too sweet for my taste.  The huckleberries solved that problem.  The huckleberry has just the right amount of tartness to off set the sweetness of the muffin.  So if your looking to try something new just take your favorite blueberry muffin recipe and substitute huckleberries.

Doesn't this look so yummy?

....mmmm

 

 

Aug 15 2011

Huckleberries

Posted on by

Huckleberries

Yummy, yummy it’s huckleberry time.  I don’t grow this in my garden but these tiny berries grow wild in the mountains not too far from our home.  Growing up we used to have a cabin at Warm Lake Idaho. Warm Lake is about 30 miles from Cascade Idaho.  We would spend much of our summers up there and when it was huckleberry season my mom would load us up in the van and we would spend a couple hours at our favorite huckleberry picking spot and pick.  Then we would  be rewarded the next morning with huckleberry pancakes.

We have lived in this area for seven years now and have known that there are huckleberries here but they have eluded us.  If you ask anyone where to pick they never give you a straight answer.  If they have a spot it’s a well guarded secret.  This year we happened upon a nice spot by accident.  Corey was camping with Levi in Kelly Canyon, that is as close as you will get to the location, and they went for a hike.  While on their hike they noticed the huckleberry patch and started picking.  When they came home we had enough for a batch of huckleberry pancakes.  Of course, I made Corey take me to the huckleberry patch and we picked a couple of quarts of them.  I froze them and now we can have huckleberry pancakes for a while.  I might even try some huckleberry muffins.

Aug 13 2011

Raspberries

Posted on by

Raspberries

Raspberries weren’t something we planned on growing.  Our neighbors behind us have a huge raspberry patch and the birds have spread the seeds into our yard.  So when we moved here instead of pulling them all up we have decided to let them grow in a certain area.  I had never made raspberry jam before and that same year our neighbor let us go over and pick a bunch.  I made raspberry jam and it is now my favorite type of jam.  I can’t go without it.

Our neighbor has now remarried and they pick and sell the raspberries instead of letting us pick them.  So this year we bought some bare root plants and planted our own raspberry patch.  Something you should know about raspberries is it takes a year before you get any raspberries.  They shoot up a cane the first spring and the next year is when they start to produce raspberries.  So this year we didn’t really have enough for jam but luckily I have a wonderful friend who had more than enough and she gave me enough to do three batches of jam.  Thanks Amy.

I have some kind of pest problem not sure what it is.  It’s a bug that likes to make a lot of holes in the leaves.  It hasn’t hurt the production of raspberries but I’m afraid that it might affect the plant. I’ve done a little bit of research and it could be earwigs, Japanese beetles, or some kid of fungus.  I’ve never seen anything actually chomping away at the plant but I have seen earwigs in that area before.  What do you think?

Aug 9 2011

Strawberries

Posted on by

Strawberry plants

Strawberries for me have been difficult.  We planted these a few years ago and it has really done a good job of covering the area that was designed for them.  The problem I have is I’ve planted the wrong variety.  We got the variety that is supposed to produce all season long.  That means we get one or two strawberries at a time.  That’s okay if you only want to put it in your cereal once in a while.  I like to make strawberry jam so I think that the variety I should have gotten was the one that produces all at once.  There is also another variety that is just a ground cover and doesn’t produce strawberries at all.  Another problem we have is birds.  We wait and watch for the the strawberries to ripen.  Then one day we wake up to find that all of our waiting was in vain because the birds ate the strawberry before we even had a chance.  This year my husband built a cage to go over the strawberries.  It has windows on the top so we can still pick and we have had some success with it.  I also think we might have a slug issue with the strawberries.  So here is my dilemma do I pull up all the strawberries and start over with the right variety or do I just leave it the way it is looking nice?

The cage that Corey built

Jul 1 2011

Gardening

Posted on by

my garden

I love gardens.  I don’t claim to be an expert on gardening although I would like to be one someday.  I think gardening is a life long project.  You are always learning more.  Everyone has their own opinion on how gardening should be done.  I think it doesn’t matter if you are a patio gardener, square foot gardener, or a row gardener as long as you love what you’re doing and are somewhat successful at it than you’re on the right path to becoming an expert. Every year we try something different in our garden.  Some things work and somethings don’t it is always a learning experience. I love the feeling you get when you walk out into your garden and can see the results of your hard work.  I’m hoping to share with you information about my garden and what I’ve planted this year.  Not only what I’ve planted but how these things can be used when harvested.  Of course I expect you to do the same.  Tell me what works for you and what doesn’t.  Tell me what you’ve done with the produce you get. I think this will be a fun learning experience.  Here are the things we have planted in the garden  so far this year.  I’ll hopefully blog about each one.

 

Vegetables: garlic, peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, green peppers, hot peppers, green beans, carrots, corn, pumpkins, cucumbers, onions

Fruits: tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, apples

Herbs: chives, Italian parsley

 

Apr 1 2011

Grapefruit

Posted on by

grapefruit

In our basket this week we received 2 grapefruit.  I’m not ashamed to say that I hogged both. I remember as a kid going to my grandparents place and watching my Aunt Sandee eat a grapefruit.  At that time I didn’t particularly care for the bitterness of grapefruit but my Aunt showed me a new way to eat it (new to me).  She sliced it in half and then took a knife and ran it between each segment.  Then she sprinkled the top with sugar.  Okay, okay so the sugar thing might not be good for me but it does help with the bitterness of the grapefruit.  I’ve heard of people sprinkling the top with salt but I haven’t been brave enough to try that. Grapefruit is high in Vitamins A & C.