It’s Raining Apples

Mother nature got the best of us. Despite our efforts to plan an apple picking party late enough that the apples were sweet, but early enough that they wouldn’t be ruined by a freeze (like last year), we failed. Just 50 hours before 40 people were scheduled to stop by our home and help us bring in the harvest – and take their own pickings home – we were hit with a nasty, hard freeze. Many, many people cautioned us to wait to pick until after a frost as it sweetens the apples, but I wasn’t feeling good about the really low temps we were expecting. A call to the Extension Service confirmed my fear. The apples needed to come down.

So, last Thursday, Jason took the afternoon off from work and picked for five and a half hours steady. No breaks. I set up a control station at my desk at work and dispatched wonderful volunteers to assist in the effort. By 6 p.m. we were all warming up inside with some pizza and marveling at the 21 bags of apples at our feet. More than 2,000 apples!

I just don’t feel good about letting food go to waste. I cringe every time I throw away a tomato or some old hotdish from the fridge. It could have fed someone. So, when I thought about that many apples freezing and then rotting I couldn’t bear the idea. Handing them all out to friends and family today during an open house was so much better. Knowing that they’d be turned into pies, crisp, bars, cake, cider and applesauce warmed me up – the same way those amazing comfort foods do during cold fall and winter days.

Let’s just hope mother nature is a little more cooperative next year.