A couple of weeks ago, I joined all my inlaws for our annual Applesauce making day.
No. I still don't like this day.
I guess it is not that bad. And it can be fun, in an "intense-apple-ish" sort of way.
Still . . . it is not my favorite day.
But I have married into this family and I must now do crazy, insane things like fall trees, pick huckleberries, slide down rocks on garbage bags, and make 119 quarts of applesauce.
And I would like to state for the record that no one, no, not one of them, will ever go to the mall with me.
Ever.
Before you get too excited about my mad photography skills, I must fess up and tell you that all pictures were taken by Lumberjacklings.
Look at how helpful my Handsome Dude is!
No. Your eyes do not deceive you.
This is not trick photography.
Yes. He is wearing his glasses in this high-class photograph and just yesterday I told you his glasses were broken.
I am not a liar.
This photo was taken weeks ago.
Weeks, I tell you!
You may ask, 'Taylor! How is it that you always look so snazzy?"
Well, readers. To achieve this early-fall look, I recommend leaving your house in a hurry at 9am to get to church, getting your hair rained on, staying at church for 3 hours, rushing to your sister-in-law's house to start slicing apples, realize your shirt is going to get mighty dirty, coerce your husband into letting you borrow one of his beloved hunting shirts, change your shirt, slice/core apples, get apple gunk in your fingers and casually run your fingers through your hair in order to entice, oh yes, entice your husband who is slicing/coring apples right next you.
Feel free to steal this plan and adapt it as your own.
Your husband will thank you.
It was the same drill as it was last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.
Slice and core. Such a bore. (ha! now that was clever. you can't deny it.)
Look! There I am again in all my snazziness!
Cook them until tender.
Grind them.
Ensure that you remove peels, seeds, and worms.
Yes. That's right. Worms.
Pour into a large bowl-ish thing and look super excited to be stirring said applesauce . . .
as my father-in-law is so aptly demonstrating.
Add cinnamon and sugar.
Pour into jars.
And can, can away!
I would like to announce that the Lumberjack's two brothers were MIA this year.
And I would like to call them out on that.
Jason!
Alex!
Your absence from this joyous event was not appreciated, nor did it go unnoticed.
For shame, boys.
For shame.
No sauce for you!
Trust me, Readers. This will be a travesty for them. A travesty.
This family, my in-laws, love them some applesauce.
No! Not just any applesauce.
Their applesauce.
Oh, how it brings delight to their souls!
They pour it on pork chops and crumble chocolate chip cookies in it. They spread it on muffins and other baked goods.
And for the special occasions, they make a chocolate cake from a boxed mix and spread a hearty layer of that fresh apple goodness on top of it for frosting.
I mean, yes. The applesauce is good.
But their love for it . . . it's a little intense.
Alright.
That's enough of this nonsense.
Happy Tuesday!
You DO look snazzy! I don't know how you manage it. That is SO something that my family on my mom's side would do. They don't do apples--they do corn... bushels and bushels and bushels of freshly frozen corn. It is deeelish, but we don't eat it on brownies. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo where do all these apples come from? Do you pick them or buy them from a produce stand or something?
ReplyDeleteMy ma-in-law has apple trees and also some were given to us by a family friend. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's corn for my hearty Midwest folk too. Lots and lots of corn. But I have gotten out of it the last couple of years so I can't really complain.
ReplyDeleteReally? You do not know what that word is? Wow!
ReplyDeleteAnd making apple sauce? I didn't know grown ups ate apple sauce! But, in all honesty, it sounds super fun!
More fun than the mall, but that's just the way I roll!
I think it sounds like you have some amazing bonding time! The cooking and the canning don't sound so bad--the peeling and coring and slicing--ugggg! Happy Applesauce to you!
ReplyDeleteOh.my.word. My in-laws have apple trees. They make apple sauce. I have participated in their madness. I moved to the other side of the world *ahem* country to get away from them. It's good applesauce, but Motts is just as good. *ahem* better. Don't tell them I said so.
ReplyDeleteGirl,
ReplyDeleteI am REALLY glad you explained the shirt thing because, my dear, that is the FIRST thing I noticed. You're a tiny thing, and that is one ginormous shirt.
Whew.
I feel better now.
I greatly enjoyed your use of the phrase, "tiny thing."
ReplyDeleteWe are now kindred spirits.
Nope. And now I don't remember what it was in the first place. Perhaps, I shall Google it if I come across it again.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a TON of work. Dang.
ReplyDeleteAnd you look snazzy, for sure.
Marla @ www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
Taylor Maliblahblah, you look about 18 years old in that picture. It's really annoying.
ReplyDeleteDon't knock the apple scent! Bath and Body make a killing off of that lotion and spray, and it's not even natural.
ReplyDeleteThe worms? Now that I couldn't take.
I really really love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Christina...worms?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I do not like apples....but I guess apple sauce is okay. It's just so... insubstantial. I think one could eat a whole jar of it and not feel full at all. Maybe that's just me...not that I've done that. Ahem.
I could go for some apple cider butter...or caramel apple butter. Yumm-oh!
Oh...you made me laugh! I was in shock at all that apple sauce..couldn't believe it...as you said "intense"
ReplyDeleteMy in laws do something similar with tomato sauce. You have the orange crates Uncle Tony got from the market in 1958, the long wooden spoon grandpa carved out of a two by four for the giant pot for the stove in the basement, a tomato sieve my father in law put a motor on to go faster and then you start to can. No one leaves unscathed, you all smell like tomatoes for a day and a half. This must be done because commercial tomato sauce does not taste right!!!!...........well, it tastes fine to me
ReplyDeleteI noticed the $10 on the coffeemaker...did they have to pay you to participate in the applesauce making shenanigans?
ReplyDeleteSweet!
ReplyDeleteNo, but we all chipped in for pizza!
ReplyDeleteYou are quite astute, Joyce. ;)
Yes. As the chief corer/slicer, there were times when I would come across a decaying worm body snuggled inside the apple and I would put that apple in the compost pile.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for the other corer/slicers. But I know that I removed worm bodies.
On the plus side, it could just be extra protein.
"slice and core is such a bore."
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you talent!
And to those brothers who are not gallant
You must resist sending them sauce
Until they are left out in the frost.
Because heartless you are not
Even if they don't deserve their applesauce lot
(okay, so I was stretching it, but I kind of made it work!)
I really, truly love home made applesauce but I have to say: your family does it the hard way. You need one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Roma-Strainer-Deluxe-Sauce-Maker/dp/B000WFW5II Then you can just quarter the apples and cook them cores, peels and all. When you run them through the strainer all of that stuff comes out without any additional work. They even have electric versions of this thing. It's like magic I tell you!
ReplyDeleteWhere I do not love myself some applesauce. I do loved cooked apples. I would spend all day doing that if they would be sure to taste like my moms. Mmmmm.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a fun little family day.
Oh, I think applesauce on brownies is going too far.
mmmmmmm applesauce!!! =) you look fabulous making applesauce, i must try your technique for enticement!! your new puppy is soooo cute....please forgive me for not visiting more, i have been so busy lately i know not whether i am coming or going!! hope to get here more often!! =) happy wednesday!
ReplyDeleteYour inlaws are darling! I love people who are passionate about something. Applesauce and huckleberries are too delightful! Kudos to you for jumping right in as the outsider daughter in law who had to learn to speak their shorthand lingo.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to make fresh chunky applesauce and yeast rolls for breakfast some autumn mornings! Pretty close to HEAVEN! My kids have done well to get a bowl of cereal or a pop-tart!
ReplyDeleteHmm I must say I'm a little hurt young one. That you have never once offered any of this special sauce to yours truly or do you not get to take any home ? And whatever happen to the freezer full of meat ...did u have a cook fest that day or what. Are you having the team over for taco night soon ;D
ReplyDeleteI think it's fun! I love family traditions. It's one of the things I feel like we miss out on as a military family.
ReplyDeleteOur extended families are so far off, we never know if Josh will be around for holidays, and we move too much to feel like anything is very "traditional."
So keep doing these things w/ your family, and let me live vicariously through you!! :)
Looks like a lot of fun... and I do love applesauce. We get together to make tamales for the holidays.
ReplyDeleteLooks yum, except the cinnamon and I'm going to ignore that it appears to be in a pail! We have an apple slinky that would make short work of all that coring and slicing, including the worms (what's an apple slinky you ask? It's a clever corer-peeler-slicer-make an apple into something fun to eat machine http://www.femail.com.au/apple-slinky-machine.htm Only in Australia maybe?)
ReplyDeleteDoes the madness repeat for green relish and pickles?
My ma-in-law buys cinnamon in bulk and in the picture it is in a Mason jar type thing, if that is what you are talking about?
ReplyDeleteNope-this is the only thing that is canned. :)
can I just say how much i love that you post pics of you wearing a giant shirt in all your sunday glory. We're best friends now.
ReplyDeleteI took a shower at 2 p.m. today.
My mom makes applesauce but she doesn't grind or mill or whatever the apples. she just mashes them. Chunky apple sauce.
It takes a certain type of person...