Two Great New Year's Apple Recipes From Alabama

In Early American history, even up in the north of Ohio, apples were a staple crop. Johnny Appleseed helped this tradition along with his many seeds - especially in Ohio.

Farming families in the early years brought out huge cast iron pots to make apple butter behind their farm houses in their New Nation and delighted in the tangy aromas of cooking apples. This continued throughout the decades into the 1900s, especially in the South and New Year's celebrations always included apples.

Some farmhouses or farm-to-table restaurants in rural areas probably still have those iron pots and make good use of them over cooking fires in the fall when apples are ripe under the Harvest Moon.

In the American South, cooked spiced apples are another way to enjoy the fall harvest and the following recipe is easy. It creates a warm, tasty feeling all over the house as you smell them cooking.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups of cooking or baking apples after they are peeled and sliced to a medium thickness
• 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1/4 Cup white table/granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/3 Cup oats (oatmeal)
• 1 Cup water
• 2 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/3 Cup light brown sugar -- Use Dark Brown sugar for a heavier molasses flavor.
• 1/3 Cup dark of light raisins
• 1/4 to 1/2 Cup dried cranberries
• Note: Some cooks like to include 1/4 Cup of blueberries, whole or dried.

Ingredients

• 2, 48-ounce jars of chunky applesauce, or use homemade if you have it.
• 3 Pounds of Granny Smith or other tart apples
• 4 Cups granulated sugar
• 1.5 Cups apple juice
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Instructions

1. Peel the apples and dice them to a small dice.
2. Pour all of your ingredients at once into a large crock pot and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on the LOW setting overnight, about eight hours or longer,
4. In the morning, remove the cover, stir, and taste the mixture. Re-season with additional spices or sugar, if needed.
5. If the mixture is too think for you, continue cooking uncovered until you like the consistency.
6. Turn off the pot and pour the apple butter into jars or refrigerator plastic containers and refrigerate and chill.
7. Serve your apple butter hot or cold with any baked good you can imagine. or use it with pancakes and waffles.

Alabama is known for its apple orchards around and you will want to stop by any of them when you are traveling in the South - unless you are fortunate enough to live there!

A number of Pick-Your-Own apple farms thrive there as well. Visit a few the next time you are in Alabama. You can find the addresses on the map below.

Steele Orchards

• At least 20 varieties of apples thrive in this orchard system.
  
• This orchard offers apples and other fruits all year long, with additional Sunday hours from August through December. It's a long growing season in the American South!
  
• You can also purchase fruit trees at this orchard and participate in fun events throughout the year.

Scott's Orchard

• This orchard is located on the border with Tennessee and offers apples, peaches and cider. A variety of jams, jellies, and related products are available in the farm store.
• If you have never seen one, the Arkansas Black Apple is for sale at Scott's. It is a very deep red and almost black. The crisp Dixie Red is a variety of Delicious apple. The Mutsu is green and slightly tart, good for recipes in which the Granny Smith is too tart. The Ozark Gold is a yellow apple, good to eat.

Crow Mountain

• This orchard is just south of Tennessee and grows at least a dozen varieties of apples. One of their specialties is the King Lusk Apple, a tart-sweet variety much like a Jonagold or Honey Crisp. It is also an excellent stand in if Granny Smith is too tart for your recipe.
• This orchard and market is open 362 days a year, closed on July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.