Six surprising uses for fall apples

Fall is apple season, and Pennsylvania apples are fantastic. You can find fresh local apples at any farmers market this time of year, and many local orchards sell them directly to the public.

Apples really are good for us. They are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and there is evidence they may prevent certain cancers.

Plus, they are delicious. You can eat them out of hand, or bake them into pies. But what if you go a little nuts at the farmers market and have a ton of apples that you need to use up? Then keep reading, and you will find six unusual, and fantastic, uses for apples…

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Should you incur the trouble and expense of trying to buy organic apples?  And if so, why?

According to a TIME magazine article, conventional farmers use pesticides liberally in their orchards, in part to prevent blemishes that can hurt the value of their product. As a result, Americans have come to assume that apples should be as taut and unblemished as a supermodel’s face—a plastic perfection you wouldn’t often see in unimproved nature. Here is a perfect example.

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Tags: UnpaidFieldHand | apples | organic |

Recipe: Casserole combines the Pennsylvania flavors of apples, sauerkraut, and kielbasa

Sauerkraut is the quintessential Pennsylvania Dutch food. In William Woy Weaver’s book As American as Shoofly Pie: The Foodlore and Fakelore of Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine, Weaver mentions that he has uncovered literally thousands of sauerkraut recipes that are Pennsylvania-based.

While not as popular as it once was, sauerkraut is still a big part of the Pennsylvania diet, even if it’s just as part of a good luck meal at New Year’s. But sauerkraut doesn’t have to be just for special occasions, it can be part of easy-to-make winter weeknight meals.

Sauerkraut goes well with pork, of course, but especially goes well with another Pennsylvania staple, kielbasa. The Polish sausage has a nice smoky flavor that does well with sauerkraut’s sourish tastes.

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Tags: recipe | kilebasa | sauerkraut | apples |

Baked apple sundaes an easy-to-make holiday crowd pleaser

Everyone loves apple pie a la mode, this recipe takes the basic concept of an apple pie and simplifies it for those who don’t want to deal with a crust.

The first step to baking apples is making sure you choose one that can hold up to baking, otherwise they’ll fall apart. The best firm baking apples include varieties such as Granny Smith, Jonagold, and McIntosh. Very important to choose the right variety if you don’t want to deal with a real mess. You can definitely still find apples from local sources like Way Fruit Farm.

Once you have the right apples, then you core them. You can use a paring knife if you have the skills, otherwise an apple corer can be had for cheap. The key is to get all or most of the core out, and not cutting the bottom to allow the melted butter/brown sugar mix to stream out the bottom during baking.

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Tags: apples | icecream | recipes | recipe | Holiday |

Local Food Notes for Oct 16

This week, check out Friends & Farmers Membership Meeting (open to all), learn more about how our area is celebrating National Cooperative Month, head to the Way Fruit Farm Apple Festival, sip wine among the fall finery at Mt. Nittany Winery, and go pumpkin crazy at the Hollidaysburg Pumpkin Festival…

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Tags: LocalFoodNotes | pumpkins | apples | festivals |

Apple salad with feta a great way to celebrate fall’s flavors

I’m from York, PA, which is most definitely part of Pennsylvania apple country. I remember as a kid getting pretty excited about this time of year, because I loved and still love apples. September was the beginning of apple season at the many orchards that dot York, Adams, and Lancaster Counties. I remember the apple cider flowing freely, both the “soft” and “hard” variety (including a variety of moonshine called “apple jack” that I discovered as a grown-up).

There were even apple-focused festivals. My family would drive to the South Mountain Fairgrounds in neighboring Adams County for the Apple Harvest Festival, which attracted thousands of people each October. For an apple lover, this was high paradise time.

Another aspect of my childhood in York was being introduced to Greek culture, via new neighbors from Greece that began showing up when I was in middle school. My Greek friends introduced me to Greek food, including a strange, crumbly cheese I had never seen before…feta.

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Tags: recipe | apples | salad |

Five fall festivals featuring fantastic food

Fall festivals are as much a part of autumn in central Pennsylvania as falling leaves and football. Here’s five festivals for you to mark on your calendar:

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Tags: Fall | festivals | apples | hartslog |

Apple tree trimming demonstration March 28 at Way Fruit Farm

Those interested in learning how to trim/prune fruit trees can attend Way Fruit Farm’s Apple Tree Trimming Demonstration Saturday, March 28, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the farm located on Route 550 near Stormstown. The workshop is free of charge. 

Attendees will meet in the farm store for a brief presentation and a Q & A session and will then proceed to the orchard across the road from the store for trimming practice. It’s a good idea to prepare for cold and mud as Saturday is forecasted to be pretty chilly. The event is open to both newcomers and previous attendees who find they may have new questions. 

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Tags: apples | treetrimming | WayFruitFarm |

Yes, believe it or not, there are still local veggies/fruits ‘in season’

With winter in full swing across the area, it may come as a surprise to many that there are still vegetables and fruits that are “in season” and available via both CSA’s and local farmers markets. Here are some examples of vegetables that are available either due to being able to store them well or because they can be grown in greenhouses:

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Tags: farmersmarket | winter | rootvegetables | brassicas | apples |

Way Fruit Farm’s apple cider a real cold-weather treat

Apple cider is one of those cold-weather favorites: steaming cups of the hot, fruity stuff bring back pleasant memories of many a childhood. I always associate it with my family’s annual Christmas tree outing to a local farm in my hometown, where the drink was made on the spot and given out to patrons free of charge (each subsequent refill costs you a quarter). You can find cider in almost any grocery store throughout the year, but there is absolutely nothing like a freshly poured mug of it to warm your hands (and soul).

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Tags: WayFruitFarm | apples | cider |

Local Food Notes for Sept. 12

For this week’s Local Food Notes….honeycrisp apples are back, your chance to meet a sheep at the Millheim Farmers Market, Tait Farms Foods introduces a fall flavored shrub, and how to store that winter squash purchase you made at farmers market.

- Honeycrisp apples are back: Honeycrisp apples are a much-loved variety, due to their crisp texture, sweet flavor, and juicy mouth-feel. They are back now, and can be found at various Central Pennsylvania orchards, such as Harner Farm and Way Fruit Farm. Get them before the rest of the Honeyheads end up eating them all.

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Tags: LocalFoodNotes | fall | apples | shrub | wintersquash |

Co-owner of Way Fruit Farm shares three favorite apple recipes

Way Fruit Farm offers all sorts of things that are good to eat; from different types of fruit to a variety of local food products from places like Tait Farm Foods and Hogs Galore. But their bread and butter, what put them on the map, is of course apples.

As a big fan of Way Fruit Farm, I can tell you that I see a lot of people buying huge amounts of apples for all sorts of recipes. I met a woman there last year who was baking apple pies for recipes, planning on giving them as gifts…a total of 25 pies! Apple pies certainly are a great way to use Way’s apple bounty, but I recently had the opportunity to talk to Megan Coopey, who with her husband Jason are co-owners of Way Fruit Farm, about some other recipes for apples. Jason and Megan are two reasons to visit Way Fruit Farm, always friendly and helpful, and Megan was glad to help by giving me several fantastic recipes that would make a fantastic addition (or additions) to the Holiday table.

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Recipe: Apple dumplings warm the autumn soul

The first time I had apple dumplings I was seven. My uncle loved camping and this was the first time he asked me to go along. Now, he was my favorite uncle (shhhhh don’t tell the others) and getting to go with him had me excited for weeks before the trip. It was fall and the weather was turning colder so he wanted to get one last camping trip in before it started to snow. My uncle taught me all kinds of things about the woods and surviving and just enjoying nature. What I didn’t know was he had a favorite uncle too. Uncle Lloyd was old school and knew more about hunting and wood lore than I ever will and I’m a survival specialist. He did things around a camp without thinking that I never would have thought of to make life easier.

So when we went to go camping my uncle always made sure to stop off and visit with Lloyd before and after a camping trip to talk over where he was going and what he had seen. So we stopped off and they visited for an hour then we headed out to go camping. After a week in the woods I was ready to go home. I had learned a lot and had a lot of fun but the rock and twigs under my bed were winning and I wanted a real bed. So on our way home we stopped off to visit Lloyd. Now, I didn’t want to stop, I just wanted to go home. I didn’t want to not get invited back so I didn’t say anything but I fidgeted a lot, as kids will. Now his wife Dot noticed this and took me out to the kitchen for a bite.

What she sat before me was this large golden brown bowl of pure delight. APPLE DUMPLING! Why had I never seen one of these wonders before or even heard of them? I took my first bite and was hooked. The golden flaky pastry, the sweet glaze, the tender juicy apple and all the spices filled my mouth. Before I knew it my bowl was empty and like Oliver Twist I held out my bowl and said, “Please may I have another?” She laughed and put another in my bowl this time with a scoop of ice cream. How is it possible it was even better? Of course my uncle learned why I had never had one before. That much sweetness and an enclosed car combined with a long trip are not good combinations. I still love them and have included a recipe for them. Enjoy.

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Apple Festival at Way Fruit Farm

The Saturday before last, Way Fruit Farm officially said “goodbye” to summer by launching into the fall season with the conclusion of the annual Apple Festival.

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Apple Coleslaw: Tastebud Touchdown

Second quarter, 30 seconds until the half, and the only thing standing between you and the end zone is your hungry belly. What better way to continue this season than by combining seasonal ingredients in a way sure to spike your taste buds

If you love fall and football as much as I do, check out this simple recipe for a sweet and tangy apple coleslaw that everyone will love. Serve it cold or atop your favorite pulled pork recipe to land an automatic first down every time.

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Tags: recipe | apples | carrots | cabbage |

Apple Recipe Contest

Apple season has arrived! How do you like to eat the early fall fruit? Share your favorite recipe by October 1st for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery.

Continue reading for some of our favorite apple recipes.

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Tags: recipecontest | apples |

Rhubarb Applesauce

I wanted to do something slightly more savory with my recent bunch of rhubarb, which is tough because it is very tart and needs some sugar. I settled on the idea of something “applesaucey” and it was a hit with our grilled pork. It would be great with some strawberries added in (if you like the strawberry-rhubarb combo and are willing to part with your strawberries—but I’m not there yet.)

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Tags: recipes | spring | rhubarb | apples | honey |

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

This thick and creamy soup is full of some of the season’s best flavors and would make any Thanksgiving table a more festive one.

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Tags: recipe | fall | apples | sweetpotatoes |

Apple Muffins

Honeycrisp apples are crisp and sweet and ideal for fresh eating, as well as for cooking and baking. Our friends at Way Fruit Farm harvest Honeycrisp apples each year and may still have some left this season. For hours and directions to Way Fruit Farm, visit their website. Then enjoy this recipe for Apple Muffins. They can’t be beat served warm with a glass of milk.

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Tags: recipe | fall | apples |

Spiced Apple Cake

This cake is tart and moist with the sweet crunch of raw sugar baked into the top. And it’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy a slice for breakfast.

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Tags: fall | recipe | apples |

Apple Harvest Quinoa

Have you cooked with quinoa? If not, you should. Yes, it’s packed with protein and essential amino acids, but it’s also light and fluffy and mildly nutty. It provides the perfect canvas for a variety of fall flavor combinations: honey and berries, chicken stock and leafy greens, carrots and tart apples, even vegetarian meatballs.

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Tags: recipe | fall | apples | carrots | onions |

Sauteed Delicata Squash with Apples and Thyme

‘Tis the season for squash! Try this savory dish with delicata squash (also known as sweet potato squash), apples, and thyme.

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Tags: recipe | fall | squash | apples |

Butternut Squash, Apple, Gorgonzola Gratin

Here’s a recipe to add to your autumn arsenal. It’s tart and tangy and pairs well with slow-cooked pork and sweet pumpkin ale.

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Tags: recipe | fall | apples | butternutsquash |

Pork and Apple Meatballs with Asian Plum Sauce

Thank you to Kim Tait from Tait Farms for sharing her recipe for pork and apple meatballs. They would make a nice addition to your tailgating table, or they can be served over noodles as a main course.

What is your favorite fall recipe? Share it here.

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Apples in Sweet Red Wine Sauce

I have never enjoyed the overwhelming sweetness associated with desserts. When I was a little girl, my mother made this apple dish so I wouldn’t feel left out during dessert time. To this day, I have been working to recreate her recipe, and I think this is as close as I will ever get. It is a little tangy and a little sweet, just perfect for those of us who like a little bite to our desserts.

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Tags: recipe | summer | fall | apples | wine |