Michigan Apple Harvest Makes Way For Autumn Apple Pie!

[kevin313]

There are apples by the galore coming out of Michigan orchards so put together one of our favorites - an apple pie!

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Recipe and more at link:

Bountiful Michigan Apple Crop Makes Way For Autumn Apple Pie

To go through a Michigan autumn without a trip to one of our state's many apple orchards or cider mills would be to miss out on something ve...

cavalcadeoffood.blogspot.com

 

[appnut]

I'll have something fun to come home and look at when I get back from my Dr.'s appointment. 

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Hi Kevin,

Once again you have brought back some really neat Michigan memories for me.

My Mom still makes a good apple pie, but she frequently complains that today's apples just aren't as good as she remembers. Maybe its the local Michigan apples that she liked so well?

Speaking of local apples, we had VERY local apples in Rochester, from our own backyard. My Dad planted two apple trees, one golden delicious I think, and some sort of red cooking apple. It was my job, which I enjoyed, each fall to harvest the apples, which I would do from a ladder, using several large paper grocery bags per tree (does the name Chattam and Farmer Jack bring back memories of Michigan grocery stores?).

The red cooking apples were deliciously tart, and we'd make applesauce from them using a Foley food mill. We'd cook the apples, skin on (very easy) and the red skin would tint the sauce a neat dark pink color.

There's nothing like the smell of Michigan apples cooking on the stove on a crisp, sunny fall day!!!

Thanks again for another great video Kevin!

Gordon

 

[kevin313]

Bob,

You have been on my mind - keeping good thoughts and prayers for you and wishing you a speedy recovery. I hope you are feeling better!

Hugs,
Kevin

 

[kevin313]

Gordon,

YES! I remember Chatham and Farmer Jack very well!

How about Great Scott! and Wrigley?? Brings back good memories. Today, the supermarkets are dominated by Meijer (local), Wal-Mart and Kroger.

 

[norgeway]

How About!

A old fashioned "Horse Apple", it's a little green apple that is so sour you cant eat it raw..but the best for a pie, also at home I knew a lady with a "June apple" tree, the raw fruit wheen peeled was snow white, but when you cooked it they turned a rosy pink..delicious!!We had a horse apple tree in our yard and Grandmother made the best pies from the fruit, I would love to find some, but no one remembers them.

 

[norgeway]

KEVIN!!!

You cut up and slice apples exactly as I do, and even use a Rada knife...as I do, I have a bunch of Cutco knives, but use the Rada like yours for fruit.

 

[lordkenmore]

complains that today's apples just aren't as good a

I'm not sure about Now vs. Years Ago, but I have noticed that today there is a variation in apple quality. The best apples I can get come from an open air produce market. The worst are consistently the ones at a regular grocery store.

This pattern is pretty consistent across produce in general. Farmers markets and produce markets always have the best quality. They often have things available that no one else carries. There are duds in the mix--but I sample everyone, and know where to go locally.

The funny thing is that it's not necessarily more expensive. Sometimes it is--but the quality is dramatically better. (Plus one is supporting local, small business--something that matters to me.) But sometimes there is little or no price difference. Farmer's markets can be dirt cheap. A regular produce market I shop has apples better than ANYTHING the grocery store has. They have apples no one else carries. And they actually have real customer service, not the new style of "I am your new best friend for life! But don't ask me any questions because I can't answer them!" This market's apples are priced at a level competitive with lousy apples in a regular grocery store.

 

[mattl]

Kevin, the pie looks great.

Here is the recipe I use, It's from an In-Law, he makes what I consider the best apple pie...

Apple pie
8 good sized apples
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Mace
1/2- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste..)
1 Tablespoon butter [revised]
1 recipe of plain pastry [see above]
1 tablespoon of whole milk

Cut up the apples to your liking in a very large bowl.

Now, preheat your oven to 450 F while you continue.

Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, mace and, cinnamon to the apples. I like to mix in half of these ingredients, stir up the apples and add the rest and stir again so the spices are evenly mixed in.

Now spoon the mixture into the pie crust you have prepared. Apples should be at least one inch above the plate. Pad down the apples and add pieces of the butter over the apples. Now go back and roll out the other half of the dough into another 10-11 inch circle and place over the apples.
Trim the edge again leaving about a half inch over the edge. Now start to seal the edge of the crusts by raising the edge of the lower crust, and bring the edge of the upper crust under the bottom crust and pinch them together to seal it.

After you’ve gone around the pie you can decorate the edges with a fork tine or create a ripple effect with your fingers. You’ll have to work on this to get it right. Remember you get better at this the more pies you make so don’t get discouraged if it’s not to you satisfaction at first.

After you have the crust sealed, take some of the milk and pat it over the crust. Sprinkle the wet top with a little sugar. This will give you the nice golden brown look as it bakes.

Place the pie in the center of your oven at 450F for 15 minutes. After this lower the temp to 350F for 45 minutes more. You can check your pie after 30 minutes to see if it’s browning evenly. You may have to turn it to get an even color.

Note: He told me in May ’08 to use the bottom of the oven..

When baking time is up, turn off the oven and remove the pie to a rack for cooling and allowing it to set. If you try to serve it too hot you’ll need a spoon to get it out, so wait until it cools off a little.

You now are the proud creator of “Dad’s Old Fashioned Apple Pie”

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Kevin -

Yep, I sure do remember both Wrigley's and Great Scott. I don't think we shopped at Great Scott much, but I'll have to ask Mom. In the early days in Rochester we had an A&P that we went to a lot (I remember being fascinated by the coin laundry in the same complex - it first had pink GE Filter-Flos, and later Turq. ones. She would never let me go in there). Behind that was an Azar's Big Boy restaurant. We also shopped at a Wrigley's which was next to a Kresge (did I spell that right?) store (the parent of K-Mart). We got our first miniature Christmas lights at that Kresge store in 1973, which I still have and still use!!!

Later they built a Farmer Jack down on the 'new' side of Rochester Road, and a Chattam on whatever road that was which parallels Avon, and that's where we shopped mostly after that. Odd that I remember the Chatham experimenting with barcodes for price scanning in the mid-70s. In that same complex with the Chatham was a Mackus caffeteria. Ever hear of that? All my friend's older brothers and sisters seemed to work there in High School. There was also a Sears catalog store in that complex - that's where I got to see many of my favorite Kenmores, including the debut of the 'wet look' black panel machines in late fall 1975.

We have Wal-Marts all over here as well naturally, but I wouldn't say their food markets dominate, not yet. Many don't have big food sections, but some do. We did have Kroger here in the 1980s, then they left, then came back, and left again. We've got Super Targets, but mainly two fairly local chains of Harris Teeter (based here) and Bi-Lo (based nearby in South Carolina). We also have some Lowes Foods (not to be confused with Lowes big-box stores).

Fun Michigan memories Kevin!

Gordon

 

[whirlcool]

We'll have to try that recipe. Karen makes an apple pie from time to time from a recipe from her family. There's a cup of sugar put into it. It is WAY too sweet for my taste. It's like the sweetness is overpowering, like southern sweet tea.

While I DO like apple pie, I love apple strudel! We make a good one using Filo dough (yes, we cheat). I put raisins that have been soaked overnight in rum in ours. It gives it a heavenly taste. We serve it with fresh whipped cream. No ice cream.

Years ago it was pretty standard dessert fare in restaurants but nowadays you just don't see it that often. Usually in German restaurants.

 

[kevin313]

Matt,

I like your in-law's apple pie recipe. I never tried moistening the top crust with milk - I've heard of using an egg wash, but not milk. I'm guessing that would make for a nice golden crust? I will be glad to give it a try (still have lots of apples to use up!).

 

[mattl]

Great, and I"ll try yours!

 

I broke down and bought some pie crusts today.  I was in Sam's and they had an 8 pack of Pillsbury for $6.79, so I could not pass that up.  My cousin is spending the night so I put a pie together in a few minutes, it was quite good, used some of my Crispin apples.

 

[jetcone]

neat recipes

I'm gonna start looking for Horse Apples and June apples! I like the idea!

 

 

[nmassman44]

Well I made the recipe that Kevin provided...I used Red Delicious, Fuji and Cortland apples that I bought this morning at Wegmans. I cheated with the crust and used the Wegmans pie crust...here is the result...just out of the oven. I also did an egg white wash and sprinkled sugar over the crust...Smell is awesome!

 

[fltcoils]

Look here for varieties of apples

Herb Teichman at Tree-Mendus fruit in Euclair MI has planted 100s of odd old varieties of apples. If you visit, Herb sits and slices apples from these for people to taste. Check out his list/site. I believe he ships if you want.

www.treemendus-fruit.com

http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/album1_013.htm
http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/album1_014.htm
http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/aboutourfarm.htm

(the film, "a piece of eden" was filmed there at Teichman's farm)

http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/album1_014.htm

 

[kevin313]

Mike - that is one BEAUTIFUL pie!!

There's something to be said for the convenience of a ready-made crust - yours looks good! I like the variety of apples you used, too. I'll be it tasted as good as it looked!

 

[nmassman44]

The pie was a big hit! I will be making it again for thanksgiving . Scott loved the caramel flavor and I did as well...