Apples, Cucumbers and Tomatoes

I'm trying to keep the garden in check, so yesterday I did more canning.  Since my water bath canner only holds 5 quarts at a time, I'm trying to pick and plan accordingly.  

While the tomatoes processed, I readied 4 quarts of cucumbers, soon to be pickles, so they could go into the water bath as soon as the tomatoes came out.  I had quite the system going.  This year I'm canning in larger jars, but fewer at a time.  I'm finding this more enjoyable and not as overwhelming as a whole day working at a frenzied pace in order to get it done.

Today I spent a couple of hours making pies.  Not just any pie, but our very favorite Caramel Apple Pie.  I'm sure you've heard someone say "this food was to die for."  Whenever I hear that phrase it makes me go... hmm.   Personally, I don't believe there is any food that is worth dying for.  But if I was a person that believed there is such a food, it would be this pie.

I first wrote about this pie recipe on my 10/28/2011 blog titled Cranking out apple pies.  In checking for the link to my earlier post, so that I might add it to this post rather than re-writing the recipe, I discovered a note from Marsha Brooks, the woman who shared her award winning recipe and I am honored that she read my blog.

My plan was to make four pies, so first I measured out the ingredients for all the pies before I started to core and peel the apples.  Being organized really helps me in the kitchen, especially when making quantities of something.  Here I've got the crumb topping ingredients portioned out and ready to go.

 

The sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt are measured and waiting to be tossed with the 6 cups of apples.

Caramel sauce and chopped pecans with their appropriate measuring cup needed per pie are standing by.

 I like to cut my apple slices into smaller pieces.

 

I thought it might be worth a try to put a pie crust in one of my stoneware dishes, and bake it that way.  Who says a pie needs to be in a certain shape?  It'll taste just as good, and I didn't loose any of the juices over the side of the pan.

And yes, I baked an apple pie in a pumpkin pie dish.  Twenty four cups of apples later.. half of a five gallon bucket..I've made a dent in my apple inventory.