Spicy-Sweet Apple Chips

I think that I was a squirrel in a previous life. Each fall I scurry about loading up at the farmers market, shoving as much winter squash as my little re-usable grocery bag can hold, fearful that I’m not getting enough to last until spring. I get a little panicky.

I was in full squirrel mode when my husband and I went apple picking a couple of weekends ago in the Hudson Valley. Boy, did we do some picking…a hefty bushel. That’s a lot of apples.

We picked some at Stone Ridge Farms. They were crisp, delicious, but not all that pretty. Apparently if you don’t spray apples, they can develop russet, which is a little unsightly but actually sought after by some apple connoisseurs for its spicy characteristics. You won’t find any russet apples at the supermarket.

Next, we went to Mr. Apples. Mr. Apples is another low-spray orchard. The orchard didn’t have the expansive views that Stone Ridge had, but the hand-made signs, colorful proprietor and delicious apples made it worth the stop.

I was very satisfied with our apple haul.

The other day I experimented making apple chips. I tried various versions. Here’s the recipe I liked best:

Spicy-Sweet Apple Chips

Slice a couple of apples very thin. Making them consistent is the trickiest part. If they aren’t consistent, some will taste like chips, while some will be chewy like dried apples, which isn’t the end of the world.

Mix a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt and tablespoon of sugar. Dip the apple slices in the mixture. I just dip one edge. You can also leave them plain, and they will still be delicious.

Line a cooling rack with parchment paper. You can cook them on a lined cookie sheet, but it will take longer.

Bake at 250º for 30 minutes, Turn and bake for another 30 minutes. If the slices are thick, you’ll need to bake them longer. If you have sliced them super-thin, be sure to keep an eye on them. Yes, you CAN burn apples slices even at the low temp of 250º. Until the other day, I would have said that was crazy.

Once they are light brown, remove from the oven and let cool. Be sure to store the apple chips in an airtight container so they’ll stay crisp.

Butter & Buttermilk

Making butter is one of those things that makes me happy to live in a modern age. As I quickly whip up a batch, I imagine my great-grandmother laboriously churning butter. In about 15 minutes, you can turn cream into fresh homemade butter. Plus you get buttermilk, which of course makes most baked things better. Who can resist that?

Here’s what you need.
Heavy cream (a pint will yield 1 cup of butter)
Salt (optional)

You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer. I use a great stand mixer that my friend Karen gave us.

Dump the cream in the bowl.
Start whipping.

First the cream will turn into whipped cream. Then it starts to get stiff and looks like whipped butter. Keep whipping. The butter will turn a pale yellow, and liquid will separate from it. That’s the buttermilk. Once the butter starts to separate, watch out, it’s likely to splash out of the bowl. I use a large bowl and keep a towel close by.

Drain the buttermilk and store it for tomorrow’s pancakes (or maybe cornbread right now, yummm). Then, gently squeeze any excess buttermilk out of the butter. You can do this with a strainer lined with a cheese cloth or two wooden spoons. When using two spoons, press the butter between the spoons and squeeze out the buttermilk. You can also use your hands. Just be sure you don’t heat-up the butter too much. On a warm day, you may have to chill the butter between steps. You don’t want the butter to become too soft. The consistency should be somewhat firm.

If you plan to use the butter the same day you can stop here. If you like, add salt at this point gently mixing it into the butter.

If you want to store the butter (even for a couple of days), you’ll need to “wash” it.

To wash the butter, add about a cup of ice water to the butter. I add a tablespoon of sea salt to the ice water. This gives the butter a nice subtle salt taste. If you want it saltier, once the wash is finished, add salt directly to the butter.

Beat the butter with the ice water for a minute. Strain the butter from the liquid. Repeat adding and straining the ice water until the liquid rinsed from the butter is clear. Two times usually does the trick.

I find that homemade butter spoils quickly. When I make a batch, I only keep out what I plan to use in a day or two. I store the rest in the freezer. In both the fridge and the freezer, I make sure it is wrapped up tight.

Now slather some on the hot buttermilk cornbread you just made…

Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt is the perfect snack food. It has protein, calcium and probably most importantly, probiotics (the “good bacteria” that promote a healthy digestive system). Homemade yogurt is cheap, easy and green. Make your own and think of all those little yogurt containers you won’t have to toss!

You need yogurt to make yogurt. The cool thing is after you make your first batch, you can save some for your next batch. I recommend taking the starter for your next batch out when your yogurt is first made and storing it in a separate container. That way you won’t have to be annoyed when SOMEBODY uses the last of the yogurt and you have to buy more to start your next batch (to be fair, that somebody is more often me than my dear husband).

You don’t need a fancy yogurt maker, but I do recommend a thermometer. You can wing it without, but until you get the hang of it, a thermometer will help give you consistent results.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (choose a brand with active live cultures)
1 quart milk (I use whole milk)

Method

  • Set out the yogurt so that it is room temperature when added to the milk.
  • Slowly heat up milk in a non-reactive pot, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 180 degrees or until it forms a skin. Don’t let boil.
  • Turn off the heat.
  • Once the temperature drops to 110-115 degrees, stir in the yogurt. You can either just wait for the temperature to drop or if you want to speed up the process, you can set the pot in a sink filled with ice water.
  • Place mixture in a heated glass or ceramic container with a lid (running it under hot water should do the trick). I use Mason jars.
  • Cover and keep in a semi-warm place for 8-12 hours (or up to 24 hours). I pour the yogurt in a heated mason jar and place it in an insulated lunch bag.

That’s it. Easy, right?