It’s Apple Picking Time!

One of my favorite memories growing up is our family trips to the apple orchard.  Every fall, my parents would take my sister and me on the hour long drive to a pick-your-own apple orchard.  We had a blast!  We’d pack a picnic lunch and spend the day running through the trees trying to find the best apples.  We’d collect several bushels of apples of all different types, taste testing along the way.

This year, I was excited to share with my daughter my family’s tradition of apple picking.  We went to a local orchard and while there, met a nice mom who’d brought her daughter and her daughter’s friends to pick some apples.  They were about twelve years old.  The girls were bubbling over with excitement as they filled their bags with apples.  As they passed by us, I heard them telling each other all of the recipes they were going to make from their apples – apple crisp, apple pie, apple sauce…and their ideas kept coming.  It’s amazing how a trip to the orchard can generate such enthusiasm for fruit!

Pick-Your-Own Farms are a great way for kids to learn how their food grows.  A child who typically doesn’t like to eat fruit is bound to give an apple a try if they’ve picked it themselves.

At an orchard, you can learn about the different types of apples and what they are best used for (i.e. eating raw or cooking).  Not all apples taste the same.  Slice up some different apples for your kids to try.  Have them shut their eyes and taste a slice of each type of apple to see which is their favorite.  Then let them pick some of their favorite type.

Keep the enthusiasm for apples going when you get home by having your kids help you make an apple crisp or baked apples.  If you want your house to smell delicious, try this recipe for Country Apples.  I made it using a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker available at many stores for less than $10.  It’s super easy and delicious!

Country Apples

Ingredients

 

1 Tablespoon flour

2 Tablespoons white sugar

3 cups apples, peeled and sliced

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup oats, quick or old fashioned

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1.  In a medium size bowl, mix flour and sugar.  Add apples and toss to coat with flour and sugar mixture. 

2.  Stir in cinnamon, oats, and raisins or cranberries.

3.  Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add water and then apple mix.

4.  Drizzle melted butter over apples and sprinkle with brown sugar.

5.  Cook on low for 5 hours.  Tastes great hot or cold.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Use leftovers as a topping for oatmeal in the morning or mix with yogurt for a tasty snack.

Looking for a Pick-Your-Own Farm in your area?  Check out: http://www.pickyourown.org/