Plentiful Apples? Not in Western CT!

I would never have believed that apples would not be able to be picked in Connecticut during the apple harvest time.  But...it has happened.  There are no apples to pick where we live in Western Connecticut and our local orchard has gone to great lengths to explain this odd turn of events to the local population here.  Check out the Blue Jay Orchards website by clicking on the link!  This is where we have taken our children to pick apples and even pumpkins when they were little.  Many events are still taking place and their market is still open but the adventure of heading into the orchards to 'pick your own' will not happen this year due to the crazy climate our little pocket of Connecticut has experienced in the past year. 

 

I was thinking about this as I was going through my collection of heirloom recipes that originated in the Danbury and Bethel section of Connecticut from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I'm fairly sure global warming wasn't a part of their shared experience and farmers didn't worry about the apples not growing on the trees.  Ever.  They counted on the regular appearance and abundance of apples.  Apples were harvested, canned, made into countless pies, relishes and chutneys.  They helped fill bellies and kept families healthy when the common medicines we have available to us today just simply didn't exist. Later, even M.F.K. Fisher in her book 'How to Cook A Wolf' suggested that homemakers economize in wartime by utilizing your oven to the fullest anytime it is turned on!  She says,

"More or less, this simple but surprisingly little-practiced rule is true in using an oven: try to fill every inch of space in it.  Even if you do not want baked apples for supper, put a pan of them with whatever is baking at from 250 to 400 degrees.  They will be all the better for going slowly, but as long as their skins do not scorch they can cook fast.  They make a good meal in themselves, with cream if you have any, or milk heated with some cinnamon and nutmeg in it, and buttered toast and tea."

 

So - apples have always been important.  Visit one of my favorite food history sites www.foodtimeline.org to explore more about apple history!  Here are some very old apple recipes that I thought I would share and one for Swedish Apple Pie from our recent history that is 'crustless'.  It seems to come from the late 1960's or early 70's.  After all, we didn't have much time for crusts...we were going back to work.  What a shame.

Bird Nest

Pare and core enough apples to fill a dish.  Make batter of:
1 quart milk
3 eggs
2 cups flour

Pour this over the apples and bake in a quick oven.  Serve with sauce.

Apple Snow

2 apples stewed and when cold put through a fine sieve then add 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Beat the white of 1 egg stiff, then add the apple and beat until stiff.  Serve with a thin custard flavored with vanilla.

Swedish Apple Pie

1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped apples
1 cup chopped nut meats

Beat egg until lemon colored.  Blend in balance.  Spoon into greased 9 inch pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I hope where you live you might be able to make it to an orchard for an apple picking excursion - there's just something so special about doing that!  If not, I'm sure you can find apples in abundance at your market.  Welcome autumn with the comforting smells of apple and cinnamon!