Frosty Apples

We had our first frost of the season, a light one, but it covered everything and made me question whether or not I had done all that I should to get the garden ready for Winter. It also alerted the spidey-senses, telling us that apple harvest time was near. Once upon a time, we were told that you should wait until after the first frost to harvest them, so that the sugars could concentrate. We have a dwarf Fuji that is about 5 years old and has been producing well the last few years. Hence, excitement for apple picking. 

 

 After the frost melted (it didn't take long), I headed out with a big bag and collected all of the apples that hadn't already been sampled by our local wildlife. We ended up with a nice collection of almost 40lbs of these beauties which will go into the freezer, sauce, a crisp tonight, and many just straight down the hatch. Did I mention that I LOVE apples?? Next to raspberry season, this is my favorite harvest time of the year. 

Well, I read into the "picking after the frost" method. None of the readings I found supported this idea. In fact, most articles discussed the danger of allowing apples to freeze before harvesting. Fortunately for me, apples, in general, require 28 degrees and lower for at least 4 hours to cause damage to the fruit. Ripe apples and apples with a higher sugar content (read: Fujis) require lower temperatures to freeze, closer to 24 degrees. 

I did finally find an article regarding the sugar concentration, because that really is a thing. Apparently, it is warm sunny days and cool nights that make the apples amazingly sweet. I guess we have been having just what the apple doctor ordered, because look at the inside of this apple I collected!

It didn't last very long! We've probably been through nearly a dozen apples since harvest, just eating them by the slice. I don't have a picture, but they are so beautiful when you hold these sugary pieces to the sun as it just shines through them. My youngest was fascinated. 

Here's the haul:

Alright, may you be blessed with delicious apples and a beautiful day!