How 'Bout Them Apples?

Fall the season when the air gets crisp, the leaves turn golden, and suddenly everyone you know is trying to give you a bag of apples like it’s some kind of fruity pyramid scheme. With so many different varieties, all with different tastes and uses, it can get a little overwhelming navigating which type of apple you really want. However, just like the tomato is the summer fruit that keeps on giving, the apple is the fall fruit that keeps on giving. Let’s talk about what varieties of apples we here at Crossroads Farm are currently selling in our farm store, and a recipe for some of the best apple butter!

 

You probably have driven or walked by our beautiful orchard here at Crossroads. In there, we have apple and asian pear trees that are primarily harvested during our Fall Education Programs, where students make apple and pear sauce and mini pies. If you haven’t tried asian pear sauce before, you have to! Crossroads Farm works closely with Briermere Farm in Riverhead, a 200-acre farm that houses hundreds of apple trees. Last year, the farm store sold 18 different varieties of apples, all with their own unique characteristics. Currently, we are selling 13 varieties of apples, which can be found listed below with their flavor and best uses: 

 

• Red Delicious - Mildly Sweet; Eating

• Golden Delicious - Mellow and Sweet; Baking, Pies, Sauces, and Freezing

• Gala - Sweet and Mild; Eating, Baking, Sauces, and Cider

• Honeycrisp - Very Sweet and Slightly Tart; Baking, Pies, and Cider

• Mutsu - Sweet and Tart; Eating, Baking, Pies, and Sauces

• Empire - Sweet and Tart; Eating and Sauces

• Cortland - Sweet and Tart; Pies, Sauces, and Butter

• Winesap - Rich, Sweet, and Tart; Eating, Baking, Cider, and Pies

• Crimson Crisp - Sweet and Tart; Eating, Baking, and Cider

• McIntosh - Tart and Tangy; Eating and Sauces

• Fuji - Very Sweet; Baking, Pies, Sauces, and Freezing

• Jonagold - Sweet and Tart; Baking, Pies, and Sauce

• Macoun - Sweet and Tart; Eating, Baking, and Pies

 

So whether you're a Honeycrisp devotee, a Fuji fan, or just here for the apple butter, fall is the perfect time to embrace all things apple. Swing by the farm store, stock up on your favorites, and get a little creative in the kitchen, there’s no better way to savor the season.

 

Until Next Time!

Your Friends at Crossroads Farm

 

Farmer Mike Alsheimer's BEST Apple Butter......created with love.

 

• What you'll need:

  • Briermere Apples

  • Crossroads Honey

  • Apple Cider

  • Vanilla Bean (Bourbon-infused for some extra flavor if you want)

  • Spices

  • Optional: FIGS! Throw them in if you have, just adds a fun twist

 

The only prep that needs to be done is coring your apples and cutting them into fourths (the smaller you cut, the faster it will cook down). Once you have them all cored and cut, throw them into a crock pot or sauce pot with all the other ingredients. Let that cook down a little bit before using an emulsifying tool if you have–a whisk would work too–to break down the mixture more. 

 

If you decide to stop here, you’ve made apple sauce! But if you wanted to go for the full butter, let the sauce cook for a couple hours to really draw all the water out and thicken it. 

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Enjoy!