Bring the orchard home

There’s something quintessentially fall about wandering through an orchard, basket in hand, in search of the perfect apple. As September settles in, we wait for the air to turn crisp and the leaves to begin their colorful transformation. Meanwhile local orchards are coming alive with the sights, scents and flavors of harvest time. There are baskets to fill, cider to sip and plenty of reasons to gather family and friends for a leisurely day outdoors.

Apple season typically stretches well into October, giving plenty of time to visit a nearby orchard and bring home a bounty of crisp, juicy fruit. And with dozens of varieties to choose from, there’s an apple for every palate and practically every recipe.

For eating fresh, look for favorites such as Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Macoun, Empire and Gala — varieties prized for their crisp texture and sweet-tart flavor. For baking, apples such as Cortland, Empire, Rome, Granny Smith and McIntosh hold their own in pies, crisps, cakes and other autumn favorites. Mixing several varieties can add even more depth of flavor to a dessert.

Some apples are particularly well suited to sauces and other dishes. McIntosh and Paula Red, for example, soften beautifully when cooked, while Cortland’s flesh resists browning, making it a natural choice for salads and other recipes where appearance matters.

Of course, no orchard outing is complete without fresh-pressed cider — another quintessential taste of the season. Whether you enjoy your apples straight from the tree, baked into a warm dessert or transformed into a savory dish, there’s no better time to celebrate the harvest.

So fill your basket, head home and get cooking. These delicious recipes are a perfect way to savor the season, one apple at a time.

Dutch Apple Pie
Pie is always a welcome fall treat, whether as a scrumptious ending to a meal, or even as a snack.

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
8 cups sliced cored peeled apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Heat oven to 400° F. On surface sprinkled with flour, using floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into circle 2 inches larger than 9-inch pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.

In large bowl, toss filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.
In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.
Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Apple-Berry Crisp
Crumbles and crisps offer the flavor of homemade pie without the fuss of making pastry.

5 Golden Delicious or Rome apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, blueberries, cranberries or raspberries
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup quick rolled oats

Note: If using cranberries, add two tablespoons more brown sugar to apple-berry mixture, since cranberries are especially tart.

Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish. In large bowl, combine apples, berries, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; toss to blend. Place apple-berry mixture in prepared dish.

In medium-sized bowl, combine flour, salt, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; stir in oats. Sprinkle mixture over apples and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.

Cranberry Applesauce
A tasty twist on applesauce represents the best of the season.

3 to 4 pounds of peeled, cored, roughly chopped Granny Smith apples (or other good cooking apple such as Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein)
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all of the ingredients in a large (5-quart) pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, or until the apples can easily be mashed.
Remove from heat. Mash the apples and cranberries with a potato masher to the consistency you want.
Serve hot as a side to pork or turkey. Or serve hot or cold as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream.
Store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Or freeze for up to a year.