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I’ve always loved apple orchards – from their spring showy flowering beauty to their ripe, rich, crunchy fruit in the fall. Growing up in Wisconsin, a prime apple producing state, our family had what we called “the orchard”. It was a collection of many different varieties and different configurations of trees. I don’t think we knew all their names. They were described as “good for pies”, “good for apple sauce“, “good to eat”.
Now living in Missouri, we are blessed to be surrounded by many orchards, as well as those in neighboring states of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois.
Doing research for an apple cookbook was a good way to visit many, many orchards. This resulted in a cookbook, Apples, Apples Everywhere – Favorite Recipes From America’s Orchards that features a little history about each of the orchards and their choice apple recipes. There are recipes for No-Sugar Apple Pie from a Vermont Orchard (and it doesn’t use a sugar substitute), Apple Dumplings from an orchard in Illinois, an Apple Harvest Cheesecake from Minnesota, an Apple Cake from an Ohio orchard, Candied Apples from a Michigan orchard, an Apple Compote from a Pennsylvania orchard, Waldorf salad from New York, and many more. This collection of tempting recipes and history can be ordered here. People tell me it is the next best thing to taking an apple tour around the country!
Lee Jackson
Sometimes called the “Apple Lady”
