A few apple recipes...

I have had a few requests for recipes, so here you go:

Caramel Apple Jam (pictured above): the recipe can be found here. It has the delicious flavor of apple butter, but with nice chunks of fruit. The only alteration I make is that I add 8 cups of chopped fruit instead of 6. It still firms up great, and we enjoy the fruit!

Gwen's Pork Chops: My sister's recipe: so easy and so yummy! In a little oil in a skillet, brown some boneless pork loin chops that have been seasoned with either salt and pepper, or mace. Use one chop per person, unless you desire left-overs. Into the skillet, layer one peeled, sliced apple per person, and slices of sweet onion (or my friend Tina does this in her crock pot). Sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon over the apples and onions. Add enough water to the pan to just barely coat the very bottom of the pan. Place the chops on top of the apples, cover, and cook until apples and onions are tender. The apples and onions form a delicious sauce for over the pork.

Pie Crust: Pie crust is an individual thing. I was not a baker when we got married, and pie was my dh's favorite food. IO worked for years, trying everyone's fool-proof recipe for crust, and eventually found this one. It may not be the keeper for you, but it was for me!
For one pie crust (double for double-crust):
1 Cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup Crisco (I don't buy any other brand. This is the only one that makes it turn out well)
A pinch of salt
Cold or iced water (the cold seems to make a difference)
~Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Add water (the original recipe calls for 2-4 TBS, but I'm sure I use more than that in my dry climate). Roll on a floured surface, and you're ready to go!

Apple Pie filling:
6-8 cups peeled, sliced tart apples
3/4 cup (or less) sugar
1/4 cup flour
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg
I also like to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top of my pies when baking.

Applesauce: (Pictured below) The big thing with applesauce is a Victorio strainer. If you are trying to make applesauce in your food mill or processor, you are working way too hard! With the strainer, here is all you do:
~Wash and quarter apples, removing stems and any bruises or bad spots (yes, you leave the cores in, and the peels on!)
~Steam the apples until they are very soft. Strain and reserve the liquid from the streaming.
~Let the apples cool.
~Put the apples through the victorio strainer: the sauce comes out one way, and the peels, cores, etc. come out the other way.
~I add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar per quart of sauce, depending on how tart the apples are, and enough of the reserved liquid to make it a nice coinsistency. Heat to boiling, and either can or freeze or eat. Yum!