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Apples!
Just as the weather starts to turn, I get this unwavering urge to bake. It’s rather convenient that this occurs right at the peak of apple picking season. And it’s even more convenient that my mom and step dad have a small apple orchard on their farm in Scales Mound, IL. Hello, free apples! So, I spent my Saturday peeling, cutting and canning eight pounds of apples for pie filling.
My. House. Smelled. Divine.
The smell was too tempting to just let the apples sit in jars for a week or so. Ok, let’s be honest, I don’t think they would have even made it that long, but the fact that my dad was in town from Tennesee gave me an excuse to bake with my new pie filling immediately. I decided to go easy on myself and make a simple apple crisp {recipe below.}
While I was at it, I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice indoor photography. Since the photos were taken at night, I knew I would need something to soften the flash a bit, so I turned to a trick that I recently discovered and plopped a white coffee filter over my pop-up flash. Worked like a charm!
Here is the canning recipe that I used:
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
10 cups water
6 pounds apples
Directions
- in a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and food coloring.
- Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
- Fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife.
- Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.
And the recipe for the apple crisp:
Ingredients
| 2/3 c Rolled oats | |
| 1/3 c Flour | |
| 2 ts Ground cinnamon | |
| 6 lg. Apples; peeled and sliced | |
| 4 tb Honey; 3-5 tablespoons | |
| 2/3 c Brown sugar; packed |
How to Prepare Fat-Free Apple Crisp
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare the apples and put them in baking dish.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Sprinkle over apples and bake 30-35 minutes.
Calories = 204, fat = .8g, CFF = 3.5%, Carbs = 50g, Protein = 1.8g, Fiber = 3.5g
Enjoy!
yummy!!
Ok, I was an etsy stalker forever…now have my camera strap and LOVE it. After seeing where your parents have a farm, I MUST comment. Seriously, how many people are from Scales Mound! Not sure who your family is but my mom would be one of the many Redington’s from there
Well she actually went to Galena schools, but still…
Oh my gosh! Small world!! My parents actually lease part of their property to Dennis Redington. Do you know know him?
That would be mom’s baby brother…ha!
Craziness! What an incredibly small world!