We received our first apple gleaning request in the Sonoma Valley in late July. We all agreed that it was early but those apples were ready!
One of the perks of being a volunteer with ExtraFood's Share the Bounty Program is being invited into cozy yards and beautiful properties to spend some of the most enjoyable few hours of my week.
This inaugural apple harvest was in the hills of Glen Ellen at the north end of the Sonoma Valley. We found ourselves stopping every so often to soak in the amazing view!
When we arrived, we found that apples had already started falling from the tree so our first order of business was to sort those into either a compost bin or an “Allison” box.
We take pride in harvesting high quality produce to distribute to our recipients so we are careful to sort out any fruit that has already fallen or is bruised or otherwise won’t last long. I often snag a box of this borderline fruit to experiment with at home.
At the end of the harvest, we were able to donate 360# of apples to food pantries in Sonoma Valley - impressive for three volunteers in less than 2 hours!
I brought home about 20# of fruit not suitable for donation which was quickly turned into applesauce, one of my husband’s favorite harvest recipes. Last year I made batches upon batches of applesauce that I thought would easily last us a year but we somehow ate in a few months.
Here is my go-to applesauce recipe that gives big flavors with low effort:
1.Wash and chop 10-12 medium sized apples into 1” pieces. I like a chunky applesauce so I keep the skins on and just discard the core or any bad spots. (see pic)
2.Place chopped apples into a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
3.Every couple of hours mash the mixture with a potato masher until desired consistency. (see pic)
The apples I used from this latest rescue were so delicious I didn’t add anything. No sugar. No cinnamon. Not anything. Though feel free to use this base recipe as a canvas for experimenting with familiar and new flavors:
-Cinnamon
-Nutmeg
-Pumpkin pie spice
-Ginger
-Chai spice
-Cayanne
You can even add other fruits to the mix, making this a versatile way to stretch other fall favorites:
-Pear
-Cranberry
-Orange juice & zest
Enjoy!
Allison McKeany, MS, RD
allisonmckeany.com
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