When Life Gives You Apples…

The past year has been a season of waiting for our family. If we’re not waiting for one thing, we’re waiting for another—a job, a house, a car, a diagnosis, an answer. This is obviously a lesson God has to teach us right now, so we’re doing our best to enjoy the ride suspended in midair between the past and the future.

One thing that hasn’t been slowing down, though, is prices. At the gas pump, at the grocery store, at the mall, and even on the real estate market, the prices seem to be creeping up daily. (That’s part of our waiting. If you know anyone looking to part with a decent four-bedroom home for less that $300K, hook me up, please!)

I’d let my homemade cooking habits slide during a season of hectic activity—think soccer mom, except not soccer. More of a track-4-H-tumbling-piano-AWANA mom. An easing schedule and rising prices have driven me back to cooking with basic ingredients and things I have on hand.

A few weeks ago, I bought some pre-bagged apples at the grocery store. I don’t blame my family for not wanting to eat them. During this off season they’re colorless, tasteless, and completely inglorious in every way. I don’t want to waste them, though. Grocery budget, remember? With those apples in mind, I’ve been eyeing my dwindling supply of apple-scrap vinegar.

Apple-scrap vinegar, by the way, should not be confused with apple cider vinegar, and really shouldn’t be used for canning. It’s wonderful, though, for cooking and cleaning. It has a heady, wine-like aroma. I know my husband has been mildly concerned on the occasions he’s walked into the kitchen to find me breathing in the scent from the vinegar bottle.

Uneaten apples gave me the opportunity to replenish my
vinegar supply and make a tasty treat for my family.

The only problem with apple-scrap vinegar is that you actually need the apple scraps—cores and peels—to make it. My frugal soul won’t let me simply cut up those bland apples and dump them in a jar. That, of course, brings me back to using basic ingredients and things I have on hand.

Does your family like cake? My family likes cake. That’s why I zeroed in on the recipe for Apple Dapple Cake from Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Harvest Cookbook. Three cups of shredded apples for the cake yielded several nice apple cores for the vinegar. (I would absolutely share the recipe, but I don’t want to be sued for copyright infringement, so you may need to buy your own copy of the cookbook from Shiloh Run Press.)

All the ingredients for success.

After popping that cake in the oven, I covered the apple scraps with a blend of water and sugar according to the Prairie Homestead’s Apple Scrap Cider recipe. Then I covered the jar and put it in a cupboard to ferment in peace. Such a small amount of effort for the pleasure of knowing I’ve used the most basic ingredients to feed and take care of my family.

Ready to ferment.

Of course, I now have to wait a few weeks for that cider to ferment. That’s okay. I’m getting used to waiting.

 At least we didn't have to wait long for the cake. Ready to be eaten!