As the days get cooler, we feel the need to spend as much time outdoors as we can. We want to soak in the sunshine before winter sets in. One of our favorite days (nearly) every fall is the day we spend at the apple orchard. We have particular varieties to pick in quantities to last a few months – honeycrisp is the unanimous choice. We also choose a few others to dehydrate for adding to winter bowls of oatmeal and cooking down for apple butter. The orchard encourages sampling as you pick – so we do! We have tried new-to-us varieties and found both winners and losers.
Besides the apples we pick (and trees to climb in – only to reach apples, no playing here), we often can still pick raspberries. There are trees and fruits at this orchard we think of as ours. They are just as much a part of our tradition as the goodies we make. Our orchard has a play area with swings and slides and more. Some years, this includes a pyramid of straw bales for climbing and jumping. It’s funny how children too tired to pick any more apples suddenly have oodles of energy for playing.
We generally bring our lunch and picnic wherever we are when we get hungry. There is a nice pond (to keep the small ones out of) with picnic tables nearby. Great nature study opportunities abound, too! We bring home leaves, snap pictures of bugs and sketch anything that catches our eye. For dessert, we enjoy the cider slushes the orchard sells. It’s just not fall until we have a cider slush. Even in the years we don’t pick many apples, we go and walk around and drink our slushes.
Tired, full and sticky, we head home. The day isn’t done yet! Most of the children sleep on the way. We get the storage apples put away and get to work on the apples destined for apple butter. Some we peel – and use the peels for making vinegar – and some we don’t. Unpeeled is just too much peel in the apple butter. We have a corer for the apples small enough for that. The others get sliced and the core removed. These are then chopped. I am really excited to use my food processor for this step this year.
- 5 pounds apples – peel/core and cut into chunks
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2-3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Put apples in crockpot.
- Mix sugar and spices in small bowl. Pour sugar mixture over apples and stir well.
- Put on lid and turn on crockpot. Cook on high for one hour.
- Turn down to low and continue cooking 8 – 12 hours.
- Check sugar and seasonings; adjust as needed. Puree with stick blender or mash with hand masher for smoother texture.
- Increase heat to high and cook one more hour without lid.
- Process while hot for canning or let cool and freeze.
- Enjoy!
This is usually the perfect texture. Occasionally, we need to cook it a bit more. You can then freeze or can. This is a great first recipe to can because it is processed in a water bath. Let me know if you make apple butter!
You can find more fall family fun inspiration from the Fall Family Favorites Series here.
Hillary has been married to her best friend for 14 years. They are raising their six children on their small homestead in the hills of south-central Indiana. Homeschooling as a lifestyle, they center their lives around the Lord and home. Hillary enjoys cooking, reading, photography and learning alongside her children. She can be found blogging about these things at Our Homeschool Studio.
