Bartlett Pears

I’m sure if you have a garden you’ve been picking, canning and working hard to keep-up with your harvest.  I will be posting pictures of our garden and tips and ideas that have helped me this year and hope it can help you with your garden.

I picked our Bartlett pears this week and they are still are mostly green which is when you pick them.  Just let the pears ripen (to a yellow color but not too soft) on your counter or in baskets then eat, bake, or preserve them.

See Here for canning, recipes and pear baby food.

Our pear tree is a Dwarf Bartlett Pear

We have had our issues with this pear tree.  We have had Fire blight for about the past 5 years.  I have trimmed out the bad branches each year and so far it is still alive and it has given me lots of pears.

I like Utah State University Extension for helpful information on insect and diseases on fruit trees.

  

  

See Preserving Pears and Pear Baby Food

See Pears and Pear Bread

Enjoy!

Lindy

Homemade Applesauce

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Fall is such an exciting time of year; Halloween, Pumpkin Walks, Caramel Apples to make and all kinds of desserts and healthy food dishes.

Also see White Chocolate covered Caramel Apples

Applesauce is a great addition to baked cookies, bread and cakes. I like to have some on hand in the freezer to add to recipes for fun fall baking and since our addition of baby Kevin to our family, we have really enjoyed making puréed fruits for him!

Homemade Applesauce

*Macintosh Apples, cut in fourths, as many as will fit in your crock pot
*1/3 cup Water
*1-2 tablespoons Lemon Juice, optional*
*2 tablespoons Karo Syrup, optional*

* We didn’t use in the lemon juice or Karo syrup in the applesauce filled ice-cube trays we made for baby Kevin.

In a crock-pot add water, cut up apples and cook on low for about 3-4 hours or until skins slip off apples easily. Remove skins and discard. Let cook another 1/2 hour or until desired consistency and texture. Blend in blender if you want a puréed applesauce for baby.

Cool off applesauce by pouring into medium glass bowl/measuring cup and then place that bowl into a larger glass mixing bowl with water and ice.

When cooled scoop in desired containers for freezing. We used Ziploc labeled Freezer bags and ice-cube trays and froze the applesauce. Remove ice cubes from freezer and place frozen applesauce cubes in a bread sack and then in a freezer gallon sized labeled Ziploc bag for easy use for your baby and for smoothies.

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Have a great Day!

Lindy