Apples for Winter

Indian Summer is my favorite time of year in Colorado. The heat of mid-day is relieved by a cool breeze. It's finally time to wear hoodies and sweaters in the evenings and early mornings. Vegetable gardeners are reaping their laborious rewards. Bears are gorging themselves in dumpsters and bird seed stashes. Some people are preserving a portion of the year's crops for the long winter ahead. All creatures are scurrying to prepare for snow, especially me. I am always more productive this time of year. This is when I take more photos, blog more, cook and clean more, and make grand plans.

Wanting to get involved in the slow food movement, to support our local farmers and participate in conscious and sustainable eating habits, I spent a whole day with my mother and grandmother to (re-) learn the process of canning. It had been a very long time since I last participated. I took notes and photos, so I could eventually do it myself.

The apples came from the tree in my grandmother's back yard. Once pureed, the applesauce was so sweet we did not add any sugar. The results for a day's hard work: almost a dozen jars of all-natural home-made applesauce and a lot of good conversation.