Good things come to those who ask. This spring, I was picking up some kijiji-found-cinder-blocks, and the folks who had the blocks happened to have inherited a city lot with an INSANE amount of fruit trees on it. So I asked. And today I received. A few hundred pounds of apples, which dented about 3/4 of one of their trees – and they have 6+ in their backyard. And they have raspberries, nanking cherries, saskatoons, evans cherries, and other fruits in significant quantity. Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton will need to pay them a visit.
Yes, some will be applesauce, some will be fruit for desserts, and some out of hand. But the vast, vast majority are about to meet their fate in my crusher and press setup – soon to be fermenting away into what appears may be a lovely white wine. The aromatics on this varietal, whatever it is, is reminiscent of gewurztraminer, but lacks acidity. Fortunately, when one has that many trees, some with two apples per, thanks to grafting, finding an acidic apple to pick up the slack is facile.
I’ve been waiting for this time of year for a long time. Last year’s apple wine was a tremendous success, and I ran out of my 3 cases quickly. Only a half case remains stashed in an out-of-the-way bin in my wine cellar for future years to track its aging potential. But round one of 2010 has begun. And I’ve got 2 other locations to pick at yet – then my own. I only have 10 carboys, I may have to go buy more.
So let this be the first but not last time of the harvest that I say: Ask thy neighbor, and put all that fruit to some good use. Please.
5 Comments on “Apple Harvest 2010: Round One”
Followed your links … a garbeurator as crusher! Coooool! I have a coworker who brings me apples … I did make cider from some, but your crusher and press are totally cool. Gonna show those links to my amazingly talented husband and hope he builds me something. ;)
I make fruit leather from all spare produce too – I love my dehydrator (American Harvest, from Bosch store, I think) … cut up apples, cook, smash with potato masher, run through food mill (manual), pour resulting sauce into trays and dehydrate overnight. Voila – snacks for lunches! And you can do this with pretty much any kind of fruit. Easy, fast, and delicious!
If only I wasn’t in the middle of an epic move. Both houses have two apple trees, and there’s been too much fruit for me to keep up with it all. Operation Fruit Rescue is indeed a very great idea.
P.S. I love how you make wine from everything. It’s inspiring!
AJC – fruit leather is atop my list of uses for my yard fruit once it hits some critical mass. That and fruit syrups for fruit juices and cocktails, etc.
Mel – hope the move is going well. You still haven’t tried my apple wine. Did I mention I’m butchering pork in early Sept, and apple wine is the perfect pairing?
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