Apples and pears and apples - oh my!

The place where I currently live has 5 mature apple trees and one pear tree on the premises. This season's bounty is absolutely overwhelming and I have no idea of what to do with all the fresh fruit.

When I go outside I hear apples and pears dropping to the ground all around me. I actually jump every time I hear an apple fall - maybe because I feel guilty about all this perfectly good fruit going to waste? I bet I could fill at least 50 boxes with apples/pears in the space of a single afternoon.

I don't have a freezer and I don't can.

Maybe I should set up a produce stand and sell all my apples off to my neighbors?

I am going to bake an apple pie today and a pear flan tomorrow - pathetic gestures in the face of my current embarrassment of riches. :thepain3:

Bambi and Thumper will help, they love fruit. ;)

Make juice, wine; or, brandy.

Pear wine.

Trust me on this.

Search for "hand crank apple peeler" on Amazon. Makes doing anything with them SO MUCH faster.

xoxoxoBruce;1014398 wrote:

Bambi and Thumper will help, they love fruit. ;)

Bambi visits all the time and the 100,000 Thumpers who already live here are getting fat and sassy. Even Smokey (the Bear) has been dropping by, yet zillions of apples and pears remain. I'm scairt to walk around out there - it's a jungle filled with wildlife and fallen apples. Now I know how Eve must have felt.

sexobon;1014402 wrote:

Make juice, wine; or, brandy.

Gravdigr;1014409 wrote:

Pear wine.

Trust me on this.

Me like this idea. When all the peaches got ripe this summer (yeah, there's peach trees too but not as bad as the pears and apples), I had a pan of them ferment on me literally overnight when I forgot to put them in the fridge.

The Swiss make pear brandy. I'll have to see if I can find a recipe. Apple brandy would most definitely be a winner in my book, also. :drunk:

Mountain Mule;1014426 wrote:

Bambi visits all the time and the 100,000 Thumpers who already live here are getting fat and sassy. Even Smokey (the Bear) has been dropping by, yet zillions of apples and pears remain. I'm scairt to walk around out there - it's a jungle filled with wildlife and fallen apples. Now I know how Eve must have felt.





Me like this idea. When all the peaches got ripe this summer (yeah, there's peach trees too but not as bad as the pears and apples), I had a pan of them ferment on me literally overnight when I forgot to put them in the fridge.

The Swiss make pear brandy. I'll have to see if I can find a recipe. Apple brandy would most definitely be a winner in my book, also. :drunk:

You will need an apple press for cider.

If you like hard cider, you're in good shape.

Presses for juice can be made from a sturdy frame, some cheesecloth and an automotive bottle jack. You'll need bottles and jars, like, a carboy would be a good idea.

Then let mother nature do her thing (thank you yeast).

Drink.

There are probably several free or low cost food and goods exchanges online or on bulletin boards in your community.
Offer them you-pick on one or more of those. The sooner the better!

Handmade applesauce is fantastic. But it's canning.