Apples to Applesauce

It ended up that I did have help for applesauce day.  Between my husband and I we were able to get done in no time.  We cut them up and cooked them until they were soft enough to go through the Victorio. (Believe me it is an ancient one. We paid $19.00 for it when we bought it probably 30 years ago. It's a bit rough around the edges, but she gets the job done.)

We scoop the cooked apples into the hopper and turn the handle.

Out comes this lovely pink sauce.  This goes in the big kettle to be heated before adding to the jars.

This is what half a bushel of applesauce looks like in a pot.  The black canner is heating up for the jars to go inside.

Here is the finished product!  Ten quarts of beautiful applesauce...plus a little for lunch and a bit for the dear lady next door.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know

   that all things are shadows, but thou art substance,

      all things are quicksands, but thou art mountain,

      all things are shifting, but thou art anchor,

      all things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom.

--an excerpt from Purification, from The Valley of Vision

Apples!!

The plan for tomorrow is for this half bushel of Cortlands:

to become several jars of this:

It is calling for a much cooler day tomorrow...a great day for making applesauce!  The house will be filled with warmth and the delightful scent of freshly squeezed apples.  Almost the perfect day!

Since I'm kinda slow and I'll be by myself, a half bushel is very doable and still not be overly tired and get some other things done, too.  There is another half bushel waiting for me after this one is done.

I'll let you know how things go.

Thy will is in all thy provisions
   to enable me to grow in grace,
   and to be meet for thy eternal presence....
...I entrust myself to thee, for thou hast redeemed me.
I bless and adore thee, the eternal God,
   for the comfort of these thoughts,
     the joy of these hopes.
--an excerpt from Comforts, from The Valley of Vision

Somethings I Would Rather Not Do Twice

A couple of weeks ago, I made a large batch of tomato soup.  This is a rather involved process which includes the gathering and steaming of various veggies like carrots, celery and peppers.  There are herbs to be gathered and added as well such as parsley and basil.  Of course, the tomatoes need to be gathered, in our case bought (which is a sad tale of our tomato crop).  I get rather bothered when I have to buy something that is in my garden, but won't ripen or is being eaten by critters.  I digress.  These tomatoes are to be washed and cut and then run through my Victorio Strainer.  I do love this machine.  Tomatoes and apples are no match for it and it makes life a bit easier. 

When I cook, I make a mess (generally).  This also occurs when I can only on a grander scale.  This is because canning includes the use of very large pots and the aforementioned Strainer.  The walls of the kitchen have been splattered with apple and tomato debris most every canning season.

During the making of the soup, I decided I was done.  I don't care if the tomatoes decide to ripen, I'm done with the day-long process and clean-up.  I had hoped that what I had made would suffice.  It would seem to my husband that it was not enough for the winter.

Well, guess what I did today.  Those are seven pint and a half jars, plus a pint of tomato soup peaking out from under their covering.  The pint and a half jars are from Classico spaghetti sauce.  They are mason jars and work great for just the two of us.  We've been collecting them for a couple of years with the help of some other folks.

Sometime ya just do what ya should do.  I'll be glad this winter that I took the time.

Just a side note...one of my Amish friends wrote me a letter last week saying she canned 64 quarts of peaches! and she wasn't done yet!  And she has five boys under the age of seven.  I've never canned 64 quarts of one thing.  She is amazing!!

I am guilty, but pardoned,

   lost, but saved,

   wandering, but found,

   sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,

Keep me always clinging to thy cross,

Flood me very moment with descending grace,

Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,

   sparkling like crystal,

   flowing clear and unsullied

   through my wilderness of life.

--an excerpt from The Broken Heart, from The Valley of Vision



 

James Madison Quote

I found this quote on Agraian Nation:

"The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent. It follows, the greater the proportion of this class to the whole society, the more free, the more independent, and the more happy must be the society itself."



—James Madison

Thanks, Herrick Kimball!

Muslin and more

The weather is a bit cooler in the evenings, which makes it much more comfortable to quilt.  I was able to get a project out that I've been working on for some time the other night.  It felt so good to have the thimble on my finger.  There is a comfort to having the the soft touch of muslin in my hand.  With no known babies approaching, perhaps I can actually finish this quilt this winter!!

With our garden being late, we are dealing with some of nature's issues of this growing season.  The tomatoes  aren't coming along...plenty of them, but with the rain, they split and rot.  The beans are done along with the beets and carrots.  Still waiting for the potato vines to die off and then we can dig those beauties.  We continue to harvest peppers and broccoli, too.  Even with the drought of July, God has been faithful, we have more than enough to share.  It won't be long until it is apple season.  My favorite.  Can anything compare to the scent of fresh applesauce throughout the house?  My husband would say an apple pie would be even better.


Lord, grant that my religion may not be occasional and partial,
   but universal, influential, effective,
   and may I always continue in thy words as well as thy works,
   so that I may reach my end in peace.
   --an excerpt from The Mediator, in the Valley of Vision