Week of October 10, 2021

Like our peach crop at TAProots Farm, our apple trees bloomed vigorously in May and set lots of fruit. Unlike our peaches, I did not have time to thin the fruit on the six fully grown apple trees, so we had a heavy load of rather small APPLES thankfully on limbs that the numerous deer cannot reach. Neighbors and friends were invited to pick them and boxes of apples were shared with the horse farm next door. A bushel or more accompanied us on our return trip to Florida, where they fill much of a second refrigerator and will provide applesauce for the winter. Another use for apples is to dehydrate them. After washing, they are processed in an apple peeler which also cores them and cuts then into rings. The rings are held in a bath of ascorbic acid until ready for drying, then soaked for 10-15 minutes in a bath of metabusulfite, which prevents oxidation and browning. The rings are then transferred to the round trays of the dehydrator and exposed to circulating air heated to 130 degrees F for 12-16 hours. The crispy white rings are then sealed in plastic bags and stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a year. They are great for use in cooking, on breakfast cereal, or healthy snacks for the grandchildren.