What Are You Working On? is for all things hand-made, home-made, and creative in a variety of mediums.
Our main project this fall is looking for another house. Fifteen years ago we built our dream home, a two story Tudor with a two story turret. It is on 2 acres, mostly wooded and overlooking a river. Definitely a dream. We had been rehabbing older homes for decades doing most of the work ourselves. Not flipping but true rehabbing living in them for about seven years as we did the work. Fifteen years ago we decided it was time to put that experience into a house we would stay in.
However I am now 66 years old and taking care of everything has gotten to be too much so we are looking for a another home while doing some minor fixup on this one as well as getting the fall canning done. Busy time. Follow below the orange squiggle for a recipe or two.
Setting aside the house hunting as that is very individual, we've been changing a few things in the house. In the powder room, I had wanted green floor trim to match the tile, the real estate woman said no -- it must match the rest of the house, so now we have oak floor trim there.
When we were finishing this house we were towards the end of the money so we put in the cheapest garage doors we could find. Now it is time to put in the carriage doors. My brother was supposed to help with that today but his cold is too bad, so no pictures of that project. We also had to raise the sidewalk to the house. Being new construction, the ground settled over the years and the sidewalk went down with it and cracked. However there is a concept called mudjacking, which actually is concrete jacking. They drilled holes in the sidewalk and forced concrete under pressure under the sidewalk and, in this case, raised it five inches. Cool stuff.
This gives an idea of how much it was raised.
The other major project is finishing up the canning. We are now on the apples. We have a very small orchard -- five trees: 3 pears and 2 apple trees. The main pear tree, a Duchess, went crazy this year as did the Winesap apple tree. We have finally finished putting up the pears and have been working on the apple sauce. Below is our basic recipe.
1 1/2 quarts cored, peeled and cut up apples
3 cups really good apple cider (not apple juice)
2 -3 T sugar (or honey)
1 T cinnamon
1 T Vanilla
touch of cloves and nutmeg
Put it all in a enamel pan and cook on low heat for about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are relatively soft -- not mushy. Turn the heat off and use an immersion blender to grind them. (Or you can put them into a blender carefully only 1/2 filling the blender. This is very hot so be careful)
Taste the applesauce and adjust flavors as desired. You might want it sweeter or with more cinnamon.
Variations: You can substitute 1/2 cup of a good red wine for part of the apple cider. You can add a cup of blueberries to the applesauce as well.
However you adapt the recipe, once you've blended it, decide if it needs some cooking down or not. That is a value judgement based on the type of apple you use. Some apples are more juicy than others. Also remember that the hot applesauce is a little more runny than it will be when it is cool.
I hot pack which means that I take the jars from the dishwasher usually 3 at a time. Two are placed upside down and 1 right side up. I use a funnel and start filling the jars, one at a time. Fill to about 1/2" of the top rim of the jar. I have the lids in water that has boiled but is not currently boiling. Use a magnetic wand, pick a lid out of the very hot water and put on the jar. Screw down the ring tightly and then back it off 1/2 turn. Place in boiling water that just covers the jars and process for 20 minutes for 1/2 pints and 30 minutes for full pints. Use canning tongs to take the jars out and place on a dishtowel to cool. You should hear the pop seal as it sets. If the lid can move up and down, it is not sealed, process again.
Below is 3 jars of applesauce, regular, with wine, and with blueberries.
How is everyone else doing?
What are you working on?