Apples, apples, apples!

[AMKuska]

And I don't even have an apple tree.

Since my garden has taken such a blow from being unfenced I thought my preserving practice would have to wait till next year. Then I thought: Well maybe I can buy someone elses produce for a decent price, and I put an ad up on a facebook buy/sell stuff asking for fresh, pesticide free produce.

A lady messaged me back saying I could have as many apples as I wanted from her tree for FREE and it would save her picking them up off the ground.

I picked, and picked, and PICKED until my three year old was moaning "Hooooooooooooooooooome," and I had to go. Lucky I did. I must have over 100 pounds of apples. O.O

Already have the dehydrator humming and a batch of apples cooking for applesauce, and chopping for apple butter and frozen apple slices for my smoothies and...!!!

 

[digitS']

Yay, AMKuska! I used to make applebutter every year from Northern Spy apple trees!

They would ripen apples just about the first frost. That was a very good time for me to take a few hours for a preserving task. Little tupperware containers would go in the freezer and be available through the winter months.

Last year, I looked for Barlett pears at that late time of the year. I found them! At the soopermarket - but, that was okay. And, I made pear butter. I hadn't made pear butter in about 20 years!

Steve

 

[baymule]

@AMKuska what a fantastic deal! I not only don't have an apple tree, but nobody else around here does either. 100 pounds! WOW! I am delighted for you!

 

[AMKuska]

I think I might have been a bit too enthusiastic though. I've already made half a gallon of applesauce, my dehydrator is crammed full of apple slices, bagged 3 bags of smoothie mix, and all I've done is bring the first basket from heaping to level. x.x

 

[ninnymary]

Lucky you AmKuska! Yes, it's a lot of work right now but look how much stuff you will have, and all for the best price Free!

Mary

 

[journey11]

That's awesome, AMKuska, and very industrious of you! You'll be surprised how quickly a three-year-old can go through a quart of homemade applesauce. I usually make an hour drive to an apple orchard and pay $40 for a couple of bushels of apples. But I think I need to take your approach! Sometimes you can find things like that on Craigslist or in the traders' guide around here too. I've seen potatoes going for $15 a bushel and wonder why the heck I bother to grow my own...

 

[digitS']

"...wonder why the heck I bother to grow my own..."

Ack! None of that kind of thinking!

... truth be known, i didn't grow potatoes for decades. Then, i discovered that there were gardeners growing all these interesting varieties that i knew nothing about... .

I think "free" (& in good supply) might encourage me to eat a lot. At hand and not wanting to waste the resource must be a primary reason for me to grow food. I recognize it as healthful and try to use a motivation to use garden produce.

Not everything is free or really cheap and there is so much that is so easily available that isn't good food! We could start a "why do you garden thread" but I'm here to tell you ... it can improve your life . We know that and we are hoping that AMKuska continues in her efforts, even while she explores what to do with bounty.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Bay apple trees need so many hours of chill to produce apples.

 

[seedcorn]

Plus you have to understand HOW to prune and then DO it. I didnt and my trees are a MESS!

 

[baymule]

Bay apple trees need so many hours of chill to produce apples.

There are varieties that grow in Texas and besides, we got AIR CONDITIONERS!