Every year around my birthday (July 10), I attempt to find what we used to call “summer apples,” typically a Lodi.  This year I found them at Stringtown, an Amish grocery just north of Kalona, Iowa.  The apples are yellow-green in color and are much more tangy than fall apples.  My paternal grandmother, Nannie, was known for her cooking.  Her house always smelled of something delicious.  Nannie and Papa raised chickens and had a “summer apple” tree that grew up over the chicken house.  The chicken egg yolks became the best homemade noodles ever, and the egg whites, Angel Food cake.  The fallen apples provided a nice treat for the chickens.  Every summer I looked forward to Nannie’s summer applesauce and count it as one of my all-time favorite foods.  It’s easy to make.  The only special equipment required is a food mill.  I found mine as a freebie give-away on someone’s curb at just the time I was looking for one to make applesauce.  Ah, serendipity!

 

wash about five pounds of Lodi apples

cut and core, do not peel

toss apple slices in cold water to prevent browning

bring to boil with just enough water so apples don’t stick to bottom of pan –

it takes surprisingly little – do not overdo on the water – cook until soft

use food mill to process apples (peel still on) into large mixing bowl

add sugar to your preference – I usually use 1 cup

chill and enjoy – I like to freeze small tubs to enjoy in the dead of winter,

if I can wait that long to eat it…(I usually can’t – hey, it was a nice idea!)