Apple Leather

applesauce, honey, walnuts and a couple of homemade doughnuts...oh yes!

If you’re not here, you should be!  I simply love this time of year because the days are crisp, the skies as blue as possible and the nights are just right for snuggling into the down comforter that’s been hanging out on the balcony railing all day.

It’s finally time for us to slow down too and enjoy living here on the coast.  The guests that stay here now are pretty independent folks.  We catch up early in the morning and talk about the day’s itinerary or simply sit together over a bit of breakfast.  My general morning routine is to make a great cup of coffee, take the goats, my breakfast and the newspaper and sit in the sun…after that the day takes shape with gardening, cooking, spinning, campground chores and general errands…until it’s dark and we close at 6 PM.

Yesterday I made apple leather and apple butter for the winter.  I know that most recipes call for and sweeteners and spices but these apples are so tasty that we never add more than a splash of lemon juice.  When you serve the leather, cut it into strips and roll it around walnuts for a very Armenian treat.

Find a bushel of fresh apples...organically grown of course

Cook them until they are the consistency of cake batter

Using the grinder, I don't bother to peel or core the apples ahead of time...the natural pectin makes the end product feel wonderful in your mouth

Spread the fruit puree onto a sheet of parchment paper and dehydrate it slowly in the oven until it is no longer shiny or tacky to the touch.