Irony is the Shackles of Youth

I bought a 1/2 bushel of delicious apples (called Spencerville Reds) for $20. I've spent the last day figuring out ways to keep these apples long enough that they can be eaten before they go bad. So far I've made a large bag freezer apple tart filling and have a crockpot full of apple butter. I know the first recipe says apple pie filling, but with that much liquid left in it (seriously, you don't cook the apples at all and you don't add any cornstarch to help thicken it) I have my doubts whether it would successfully make an apple pie. But I bet it would make an awesome apple tart.

The apple butter recipe calls for 10 apples, but I wound up using 13 to get 5 lbs. I think this is because a lot of the apples I got were small. I cannot wait to try the apple butter. Most apple butter recipes call for apples, sugar, and cinnamon, but they always tasted a bit simple to me. This recipe has spices and alcohol. I used rum instead of Applejack, but still. Only substitution I made. I bet it would delicious with brandy as well.

I do not know how either will taste, but man does it smell delicious in my house right now. This has only gotten me about 1/4 to 1/2 way through the bushel of apples. Tomorrow I will make a much more traditional freezer apple pie filling, which is enough for 5 apple pies. Since freezer apple pie filling last a year, I think it will be fine. It calls for 18 cups of apples. I am not sure how many apples that will take up, but I'm hoping a lot. Anything left, and I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe make more tart filling since that is quick and easy.

I know I'll take some of the tart filling and apple pie filling to Georgia for Thanksgiving with my family, so it will get used up.

And despite the mad rush to make everything with apples, I am not at all sorry I got the apples. Although I cannot even imagine what I would have done with a full bushel of apples. 0_O

I am trying a new recipe for Lemon Shaker pie courtesy of The World Needs More Pie. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the recipe. It calls for slicing lemons, ring and all, and macerating them over night. So basically, I'm making candied lemons and then baking them in a pie. I am 100% okay with this (especially since I already had lemons on hand to make watermelon lemonade).

My only change is that I don't like pies with the top crust, so I'm leaving it off. I'm also cheating by using a frozen store bough crust. I have warm hands so making biscuits, pie crusts, etc. that need to remain cold is a pain in the butt for me. Hence, I cheat.

I will report the results tomorrow!

Thanks to kayay for pointing me to the recipe I made tonight, bacon wrapped tofu. Next time I'm making dinner for my family, I need to make this as an appetizer. So very good.