Cider Press!

Meet the newest tool in the hand-powered arsenal at Hounds in the Kitchen:

A cider press!

Charlie of Windy Hill Apple Farm had this press on display with a for-sale sign the last time we visited.  I immediately recognized it as a well maintained machine for a good price.

We debated for a few days about whether we need a press when: 1) we have no apple tress, 2) even if we moved to a farm tomorrow it would be years before we would have producing apple trees and 3) how exactly do you use a cider press?

The debate ended when casual mentions of the press for sale were greeted with friends and family strongly encouraging us to buy it and offering up apples ready for cider-making this season.

Today the cider press is ours.  We immediately tested it with some very squishy pears, yielding a quart of juice.  Not enjoying the taste of the overripe fruit, we poured it into a jug with a fermentation lock to make some pear hooch.  We are determined to master the making of hard cider, as any good pioneer would be.

Soon, bags of apples will be turned into gallons of cider by the power of the screw and our very own hands.  We may host a cider-making day once we figure out what we're doing.  We will definitely accept sharing or renting arrangements for those of you with excess fruit.

"Give me yesterday's Bread, this Day's Flesh, and last Year's Cyder." Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) 'Poor Richard's Almanac'

Added to Hearth and Soul blog hop.

Best Apple Tip: Long Term Fresh Storage

We picked another 1 1/2 bushels (60 pounds!) of apples at Charlie's Apple Farm today.  I was talking with some fellow pickers how to store apples.  I learned this method from Charlie himself and tested it last year: 1) Wash apples with clean water.

2) Still wet, place in a plastic grocery sack.

3) Tie loosely.

4) Store in crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

That's it!  Choose unblemished apples and rewet as necessary.  From apples I stored this way in October 2008, I ate my last bite  in April 2009!

Make it Yourself: Applesauce

Apples are my favorite fruit.  They keep well, are crunchy and sweet, travel easily, and are completely delicious. Being that we live in the land of Johnny Appleseed, Ohio apples are in abundance from June - October.  We pick bushels (literally) and eat apples fresh, dried, and sauced.

Applesauce is easy and tasty to make yourself.  There are several methods, all involving these four simple steps:

1) Core and peel (optional) apples.  Add spices or lemon juice (to preserve color) if you wish.

2) Stew on stove top with a bit of water for 30 minutes or oven at 200 degrees for 2 hours

3) Puree with blender, potato masher, or food mill

4) Store in freezer containers or can in glass jars (20 minutes canning time for quarts, 15 for pints, fill to 1/4 inch)

Personally, we make two varieties each year.  Method A (my sisters' favorite) is to peel and core the apples, chop finely, and stew on the stove.  This makes an evenly textured sauce called 'chunky applesauce' in my family.  The other, easier variety is 'smooth applesauce' made by coring and slicing in one step with an apple slicer, stewing on the stove, then processing with a food mill.  I prefer stove top stewing vs. oven baking because it is faster and the less cooking for the apples, the less nutritional value lost.

We just made smooth applesauce with the Liberty apples from Charlie's farm.  The peels, even though we discarded them after milling, made the applesauce bright pink!  It was so tasty we needed no sweetener.  If I can bring myself to share my stash, I might give some of the Liberty pink sauce as Xmas gifts.  Can't you just see a jar topped with a pretty pink and green holiday fabric? :)

Picking Apples at Windy Hill Farm

I love apples and I love autumn, so it follows that I love spending a day apple picking.

For three years now we have been loyal patrons of Windy Hill Apple Farm, home to Charlie's Apples.  It is an organic farm with a selection of specially chosen disease resistant trees located north of Johnstown, Ohio.

The farm name was fitting as today's weather included high wind warnings.  We picked Liberty apples, some of the best apples for cooking.  They were a little picked over so filling our 1/2 bushel bag took about an hour.

I prefer Windy Hill Apple Farm for so many reasons:

*Charlie himself.  He is an intelligent former-engineer.  He is soft spoken but wise about apple growing and happy to share his knowledge.

*The organic farming methods means I do not worry about pesticide/herbicide exposure when Lil bites into an apple fresh off the tree.

*The lack of chemicals means the farm is teaming with wildlife.  We saw three birds' nests, a wide variety of insects, and evidence of deer.

*The apple products available on farm include hard cider, cider syrup, and cider vinegar.  All are hand made by Charlie and his family, delicious, and include no icky ingredients.  There are no candy sticks or fall decorations to inspire the 'I wants' from my daughter, only wholesome local apple goodies.

I tried some of this year's hard cider (made from last year's apples) and it is the best yet.  Blended from two apple varieties, the naturally fermented hard cider is richly flavored and a true heirloom product.  The Johnny Appleseed stories don't mention it often, but Johnny was really planting for hard cider, not fresh fruit.

*The farm is small and off the beaten path.  Today we were the only people picking.  Other times there have been one or two families, but never enough to feel crowded.  The bags are self serve and you pay on the honor system.

*Charlie's motivations are to understand and educate others about sustainable growing and carry on the long standing traditions of apple farming.  Production and profit seem to come second to these lofty goals.

If you go:

Pick what's in season.  Charlie's flagship variety, Gold Rush, will not mature until late October.  I plan to make a return trip then.

Call ahead. Some varieties sell out and it is best to call ahead so you know what is available.

Make a pit stop in Johnstown.  The farm doesn't have a public restroom, although Charlie has allowed us to use the bathroom in his home on site in emergencies.

Bring cash or check for payment.  Apples cost $8/peck, $14/half bushel (Amazingly, this is cheaper than the non organic pick your own at other local farms!!)

Stay tuned for some suggestions about what to make with all your apples!

Best Ways to Store Fresh Foods

When I was co-leading the Freezer to Table class at Wild Goose last weekend I realized that we completely missed the first step in produce preservation: proper storage of raw fruits and vegetables. Many foods can be preserved in their raw state for a long time if done at the right temperature and humidity.  Here are tips for extending the life of your fresh local foods, whether from your garden, farmer's market, or CSA:

~Eggs: If you get eggs directly from a farmer, develop a relationship and ask them to give them to you unwashed.  Unwashed eggs will keep at room temperature (just set them in a bowl on the counter) for 4 -5 weeks.  Washed eggs keep in the fridge for weeks at a time too.

~Bread: We store our fresh baked bread in a bread box.  It stays moist but doesn't mold for at least 3 -4 days, by which time it has usually disappeared in our house.

~Carrots/Beets/Rutabagas: These root vegetables last for months if you store them unwashed (dirty) in a loosely tied grocery sack in the refrigerator.  They would also keep well in a proper root cellar, but we don't have one of those.

~Winter Squash/Pumpkins: Hard skinned squash stay fresh for months if kept unwashed at cellar temperature and low humidity with plenty of air flow.  Leave at least some stem on, as stemless squash will often rot at the top.  We keep them in a single layer on shelves in the basement near the dehumidifier. Use squash with blemishes first.

~Tomatos: Always leave on the counter for best flavor and texture.

~Lettuce/greens: Store unwashed in the refridgerator in a loosely tied plastic sack. Only wash and cut what you will use in the span of a day or two.

~Onions/Garlic/Shallots: Store in a cool low humidity environment with skins on.  Don't put these bulb vegetables with your potatos or the potatos will develop eyes more quickly.

~Blueberries/Stone fruit (plums, peaches, etc.): Flavor and texture is best preserved by leaving them unwashed at room temperature.  These healthy beauties get eaten much faster when we leave them on the counter too.

And my favorite tip, shared by Charlie of Windy Hill Apple Farm:

~Apples: Wash your fresh apples, place WET in a loosely tied plastic grocery bag, and store in your fridge.  Every month or so, re-wet apples to keep them crisp.

This changed my life and I was able to enjoy delicious Ohio apples from fall picking all the way through late spring!

Do you know any tips to share for storing raw foods?  Questions about foods that go bad quickly?  Leave a comment!

Filling the larder

The past two days might be better categorized as mass consumption. Saturday, Alex and I went to IKEA to order cabinets.  We chose the tildaholm style door (pictured in this post) and antik drawer pulls.  It took 2 hours to complete the order, but I'm glad we were there in person as we found a cool deep stainless sink that allows for more drawer cabinets. They will be delivered via Ikea's local delivery service, so we got to pay a lot of money for only a long receipt.

Today, Lil and I drove out to Charlie's Apples to purchase more of his organic, local, great for storage Gold Rush apples.  I picked up some for friends too, a total of 3.25 bushels!  These keep for a long long time in the fridge.  We will dehydrate some too because Lil loves dried apples.