All About Apples

All you need to know about apples--as long as this is something that you truly understand--is that it is impossible to know all about them. There are literally infinite varieties, infinite methods for growing, infinite tastes, and infinite ways to describe the smell of the apple.

To truly understand what I mean, one must first understand the anatomy of an apple. (Don't worry, I'll try to give the short and interesting version of a long...yet still interesting...tale. Someday, I hope you'll be inspired to read a little more about it.)

A display of Maine apples at the Great Maine Apple Day in mid-October.

My version of the Infinite Apple goes like this:

The apple you find at the grocery store (a Granny Smith, for instance) has within it several seeds--each of which contains the genetic code not for that Granny Smith but for another type of apple. That apple type is unknown and unnamed by humans...because it is unique to that single seed!

One of our Northern Spy cores cut in two, seeds exposed.

So, you may have read on our website that we plan on grafting each of the trees we put into school orchards. That is the only way to know what you are growing, and we want to know the variety, the type of fruit it yields, how it tastes (perhaps like cinnamon, grapes, or pina coladas, as I just learned some of the heirloom varieties do).

And yet...

You can ask the old-timers which was sweetest apples they remember tasting, and many of them will  site one of those nameless "seedling" trees. Our goal is to introduce a whole generation of young people to the world of growing food for themselves, so that we can ask them the same question. We will know we've succeeded when young people either feel the same way the old-timers do...or at least know what we are asking.

But there is no apple expert--young or old--who could provide an answer for all of your apple questions. I dare say, it's kind of like enlightenment: the more you know you do not know, the more you really know. Get it?

Anyway, we walked away with that sense of the unknown after our visit to the gurus at Great Maine Apple Day this weekend. We learned a lot of old tricks--and some new ones--for growing orchards. Interestingly, the new tricks, or experiments, seemed to be the most touted methods of all. Try everything, they told us. Watch the earth and how it works, learn from it, and try new things.

As it turns out, we are trying lots of new things.

I admit that this example belittles the point that they--and I--hope to make...but I feel compelled to share this photo of the new method we tried for extending the daylight (work time) hours:

An indoor lamp set outside to light our wood-chopping efforts.

New experiments, ancient traditions, asking our elders and trying new things--these are the riches we have in abundance as we continue the adventure of Re-treeing U.S. See our apple sauce recipe and pictures below for an example of old traditions with a twist.

A special thanks to Jessica Bates and our friends at Greenager.com, where you can find a beautiful article on our efforts. We are also excited to announce that our partnership with Votenet is up and running! Check out our program on their website: www.votenet. com.

How to Make Pink Apple Sauce (thanks to our neighbors' trees and Richard's mom's recipe)

My proud picture of our first apple sauce batch.

You will need:

a large pot-full of apples (we used Northern Spies, but any pink or red apple will do)
water
two pots
a stove (wood, gas or electric)
two large (or four small) Ball jars
an apple sauce maker like the one in our pictures (or something that works just as well)

Northern Spy apples from an orchard down the road.

Chop the apples to remove the cores. (If you're feeling adventurous, this is a great time to save the seeds, which can be planted for rootstock. You can then graft a branch from an apple tree you know to this stock.)

Put the seedless, coreless apples into a pot of water and bring to a boil. We chose to boil ours on a wood stove to save energy, but any stove will do.

Once the apples are soft, spoon or strain them into the apple sauce making device. Squish the apples, marvel at their most amazing smell, and pour the sauce into jars. Compost the skins. If you boil the jar lids before tightening them, this seals your container and makes a great holiday gift. If you don't seal the jar, enjoy that sauce right away!

Enjoy this recipe instead of Halloween candy for a healthier treat! And stay tuned for our Halloween post in the next couple of days...

Three Steps to a Grape Autumn Meal

Step 1. Look out the window at the falling leaves and rain. Listen as your partner shares his brilliant idea: I wonder if there are any grapes left on the property?

Put on rain pants over the clothes you just wore to a meeting; time is of the essence! Bring a ladder, two bags, two pairs of clippers, and the camera to the place we know grapes usually grow. You should probably have with you also: a smile, lots of joy to use in the rain, and one very brave soul to lean the ladder and climb on tangled branches alone. (On second thought, don't try that part at home. There were plenty of beautiful grapes down low.)

Richard gathers grapes from the upper vines. The only support for that ladder...are grape vines.

Marvel in the wonder of this earth we call home as you pick (and eat!) the fruit. You may feel like a goddess; but in this case, everyone is. These grapes were found no more than 100 yards from a busy highway. There are many vines growing wild in domestic places.

Step 2. Bring your harvest into the cozy kitchen and find your apple sauce maker (which, of course, we will also be using for apple sauce this season). This is a very basic tool, often just like this:

Use the wooden piece (shown above) to squeeze the juice out of your harvested grapes into another bowl beneath. The wild Concord grape seeds in Maine are just small enough to stay behind in this device.

Next, put the juice in a pot on the stove, add sugar to taste, and simmer until it's reached the consistency you prefer. Meanwhile, find a few jars for your syrup/juice/jam (you'll get jam if you add a little pectin to this recipe). Boil the jars and tops in a separate pot before pouring in the delicious homemade contents. The heat helps seal your jars.

Step 3. Wake up the next morning and make pancakes: the perfect vehicle for your grape harvest creation! Below is my very own fluffy, whole wheat pancake recipe (makes about 8 medium-sized cakes).

You'll need:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 dash of cinnamon (optional)
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp butter

Put a skillet on the stove to pre-heat on medium.

In a large bowl, mix the first five (dry) ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix the milk, egg, and vanilla until the egg is slightly whipped. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir  until just mixed. Add oil to the batter and stir. (If you like nuts or fruit in your pancakes, now is the time to add those as well.)

Turn the burners up to medium-high and let the skillet get a little warmer while you find a measuring cup for pouring the batter. Put a small slice of butter on the skillet for each pancake you want to make. (If the butter is sizzling, you'll know it's time to pour!)

Pour the pancake batter onto the skillet and wait for the classic bubbles to appear before you flip each cake. Another tell-tale sign it's ready: the outside rim of the cake starts to firm and turn golden.

Meanwhile, heat the grape syrup you made yesterday on another burner. Pour it on your pancakes...and have a fall feast! (The pancakes shown here have sliced almonds inside and on top. Of course, you can add whatever you like.)

Here's to a Grape Autumn! Stay tuned for our apple recipes...

The Seeds are Sprouting

Our winter rye seedlings nourish the soil for our future nursery.

Since we last wrote, ReTreeUS has grown as quickly and beautifully as the seedlings you see in the picture above.  We sprinkled our tilled nearly-acre with rye seed by hand, and it grew as we spread the word about what we are doing to many new people and places in Maine.

We brought our mascot, Kermit The Frog, to our table at the MOFGA-sponsored Common Ground Fair. This is a huge annual event, drawing progressive thinkers from all over the region and cultivating "green" interests in communities near and far. The ReTreeUS team led a lecture at noon, planting kale seeds with kids, and gave ten trees away to schools interested in receiving our orchards. We may not have raised much money, but we did generate a lot of interest in our program. And interest, at this point in the process, is equally promising in the quest to reach our goal.

To see a video of Kermy in action, click the play button below:

The Common Ground Fair came after another interest-generating event with our first partner school, Cricket Hunt. School founder and director Michele Bois-Gilbody invited us to table at her 10th Anniversary Celebration, where our band, Spruce Canopy, played and Kermit sang along. Many happy families went home with kale seedlings and information on how to grow these nutritious greens. Hence, our mission is being fulfilled already.

Cricket Hunt's orchard, along with one to be planted in a Portland or Lewiston-area school this coming spring, will help us fulfill the real fruit of our mission to educate a new generation of conscious and empowered home growers. Joe Bornstein is the generous sponsor of our Portland or Lewiston orchard, and we are currently applying for grants and recruiting support to fund the next few orchard installations.

To say this kind of support is vital to our success is truly an understatement. Donations to the ReTreeUS program go directly to education, planting more trees and creating access to healthy food. One of our most exciting developments of late is another sponsor: Votenet Solutions. This national e-ballot software company has agreed to fund the planting of hundreds of trees every year through their own client donations. This is another exciting opportunity for the ReTreeUS seeds to spread and sprout! Thank you, Votenet, for your generous contribution.

And thanks to all of our supporters! Whether you're donating money or spreading the word about ReTreeUS, you are helping to sprout the seeds of growth for our organization...and our earth!