Freezing Apples – and what the old folks taught me
I learned at a young age the value of the wisdom which can only be gleaned by those who have lived a lifetime before us. My parents taught me to listen and they drove the lessons of my grandparents home through repetition and life application. These are things I was fortunate enough to be taught by example and I’ll just bet you have already been taught them, too. Still, it never hurts to have a few of them written out plainly all in one place.
So today, as I bring you an easy method to freeze apples which my mother learned from her step mother, I’m also bringing you a little bit of wisdom directly from the folks who came before us with hopes that you’ll be kind enough to share some of your life’s lessons at the end of this post as well. ~clears her throat and steps up to the black board~
First off, a help with perspective:
Troubles are temporary. So is life.
Decide which one you want to focus on.
This is an extension of “This too, shall pass”, which is a blessing and a curse. Most folks think of it in terms of hard times: hang on, this too shall pass, but it also works for good times and moments of joy.
Holding your newborn babe? This too, shall pass.
Spending an afternoon with your mother? This too shall pass.
Live in the moment, Focus on what is important. Don’t let that time with your mother pass with you living in the hardships instead of the joy. That’s not to say don’t worry about paying your bills but don’t spend all of your time in the presence of your loved ones seeing only your bills instead of their faces before you.
If you can’t say something nice…
This is a big one that most folks learn around preschool, but it seems in our modern era that a great many have either forgotten it or decided to ignore it. In the age of the internet where people get all trumped on a power trip of anonymity, it is even worse. Before we are quick to think ill of another, and most especially before we are quick to speak ill of another, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and realize that they are a person just like us. It never hurts to think of how our words will affect their family either. Remember, the trues test of character is who we are when no one is looking.
Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they’re better than you. Just because someone doesn’t have money, doesn’t mean you’re better than them.
Good people come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Don’t let the friend of your heart pass you by because you can’t see past one of these obstacles.
Wisdom doesn’t come automatically with age.
This is a very important one to me that I am always striving for. When I was a girl, I thought everyone older than me was automatically wiser than me. That rug gets pulled out from under your feet pretty quick! I’ve found that the folks who seem to have the most wisdom and understanding are those who have valued and sought it throughout their lives, using each situation to try to become a better person or to have a better understanding of others.
More often than not, doing the right thing won’t be easy and no one will even know you did it.
Your reward for being a good person is being a good person. Be glad you can sleep at night and get over it. You may not have a parade thrown in your honor but personal pride counts for something. Hold your head high and know your Mama would be proud of the person you have become. Honor, Integrity, and your good name cannot be bought or sold. They must work for and careful cultivated through a lifetime.
At the end of the day, there is always something to be grateful for.
To me, no one was a better teacher of this than my great grandmother, Lela. Most folks who consider themselves to have hard lives by today’s standards would change their thinking pretty quick were they to live just half a day in Lela’s shoes during her younger years. A sharecropper with four children to feed and take care of and a husband whose primary talent was taking what little money they acquired and spending it for his own entertainment purposes. She and her children worked from sun up til sun down, sometimes going to bed hungry because there simply wasn’t any food. They’d come in from a long days work in the fields and the kids would fall asleep wherever they sat first. Lela would walk around with a bowl of water and an old rag and wash the dirt off their feet.
But you know what? Lela always felt she had a lot to be grateful for. All four of her children were healthy. They had a roof over their heads, and though it was meager, they had food. Lela was wise enough to see these things as blessings rather than focus on their predicament as a curse. As a result of her attitude, we are now on our fifth generation of positive thinkers in this family and every single one of them have been happier and more fulfilled by growing up learning from her teachings of gratitude.
This is where you come in. What life’s lessons have you been taught by your elders that have guided you to be the person you are today? I’d love to hear them and a little about the person who loved you enough to teach them to you. I’m always talking about my grandparents, now it’s your turn!
Eventually, I get around to the tutorial so here are the apples we’re gonna freeze today.
This method works for any type of apples. Today I am freezing Jonagold and Fuji. If you’re going to be freezing them for a pie later, you might want to cut up a few granny smith and include some in each bag.
You’ll need about a gallon of water. First though, pour about a cup of that warm into a large bowl. Add about 1/4 of a cup of salt.
Stir until salt is dissolved.
Add the remaining water. This water should be cold.
Now we’re gonna peel our apples and slice them up one at a time.
Cut them however you prefer.
I usually do sections.
Be sure and remove the core.
There we go!
As you cut them, place all of the slices in the salt water.
I left the skins on some of mine because I prefer my fried apples to have the skin on.
Push them down in the water a bit and make sure they all get submerged good at some point.
After they have soaked for a few minutes, drain them in a colander.
Then place in freezer bags and label.
Laying them out flat like this when you freeze them will keep them from sticking together and allow them to thaw quicker.
Here is a bag of apples a few days later, frozen and still beautiful thanks to the wisdom from the “old folks”!
You can take these apples directly from frozen and use them fried, in muffins, cakes, or pies!
No, they won’t have a salty taste!:)
Freezing Apples
Ingredients
- Apples
- 1 Gallon water
- 1/4 C Salt
- Freezer Bags
Instructions
- Place one cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir in salt until dissolved. Add remaining water cold. Peel and slice apples (can leave skin on them if desired). Place each slice in salt water as you go along. When done with all apples, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged. Drain in a colander. Place immediately in freezer bags, label, and freeze.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin
Ingredients
- Apples
- 1 Gallon water
- 1/4 C Salt
- Freezer Bags
Instructions
- Place one cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir in salt until dissolved. Add remaining water cold. Peel and slice apples (can leave skin on them if desired). Place each slice in salt water as you go along. When done with all apples, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged. Drain in a colander. Place immediately in freezer bags, label, and freeze.
Some of my favorite Southern Plate apple recipes:
- Apple Dapple Cake
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Fried Apples
- Crock Pot Apple Butter
- Apple Flautas
- Apple Orchard Snack Cake
Live in the North Alabama area and looking for apples? Try Isom’s orchard in Athens, that is where these beauties came from!
“The wisest mind has something yet to learn.”
~George Santayana. To submit your quote, click here.
Please share a life lesson you were taught by your parents, grandparents, or just someone who came before you below. If you like, feel free to just use the space to brag on the good folks who raised you!
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Sep 9 2009. Filed under Dessert, Freezes Well, Misc.
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Beautiful! Thank you so much for the beautiful advice as well as the tips on freezing apples.
I just wanted to add to one about money not equaling status… Just because people may have money, doesn’t mean they are better or worse than another. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum and people really do judge both ways. The fact is that we’re all equal no matter what we have or don’t have. =)
When I got married, My grandma gave me three peices of advice.
1. Always sacrifice for your husband’s career. An unhappy breadwinner is not fun to live with.
2. Always encourage him to call his mother. It is unselfish and they will both appreciate you for it.
3. Never buy a piece of clothing that doesn’t go with 3 other things in your closet.
so do i do this for peaches as well. i would like to do that next yr during the peach season.
[...] used apples that I froze this past summer. I thawed them in the microwave and then drained the juice off of them. You can use fresh apples [...]
Some older gentleman taught me this, he said when you are canning apples, slice them and put either fruit fresh or put them in salt water and then drain. Pack the sliced apples in a quart jar and put tap water in with the apples and also two 325mg aspirin, put flat and ring on the jar. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO SEAL, BUT SOMETIMES THEY DO. It can be hot or cold water, doesn’t matter. I have tried this and it works. The apples are nice and pretty, you can keep them from one year to the next and no problem….
My wise grandmother had a saying “Birds of a feather flock together.” So simple, yet true. You will be like those whom you hang around. I tell my daughter that when she is complaining of a mean or selfish “friend”.
You really did cover about all the ones that I was told all my life.And I’m a whole lot older than you! Before I forget to say it again…….I can nOT wait for your cookbook! I will be first in line for sure! I’ve told you before, but I must say it again…I love, love your blog! It was not all that long ago I figured out just what a blog was ( I’m old & a little slow) & out of all the ones I read regularly, it’s your’s that I have to save in a folder in my email! SO, is there a saying that I wanted to add, the only one I can think of that I was raised on…..”be careful what you wish for”……..AND my Momma’s “thing” to say if we were dumb enough to say the word “hate” in front of her….she..well, hated that word..she still does. She’d say, “you don’t hate anything or anybody, you may dislike something someone does, but you don’t hate them.”Then she’d think for a minute & add..”except spiders & snakes”.LOL She’s 85 now & still says so many of the old sayings every day. I’m so lucky to still have her.My sons love her so much & spend a lot of time with her & that makes me even
[...] Freezing Apples – And What The Old Folks Taught Me [...]
my dad always told my sisters and i “believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” gossip and rumors have never crossed his lips, and his truly non-judgemental personality is so very admirable. our extremely small community is rampant with rumors and stories about others, but all go in one ear and out the other for my dad. he may be a man of few words, but these were never forgotten.
Thats the kind of wisdom that makes you always hold someone in justified reverence, and everyone who knows him and everyone who knows those who know him will be better off because of the way he lives his life!
What an amazing man!
I have a question about canning on a flatop range. How do you can with a canner if it cannot be used on these new ranges. I thought this would be the cats meow, and its nice but the canner will not sit on it, and I cannot use my cast iron skillet or roaster on it like the rangetop with burners.Any ideas on this, maybe a different kind of pot or pan.Would you have any suggestions on what I should do. Thanks for your time.
Kim, I have a glass flat top range and I use my cast iron skillet on it. I don’t use my old waterbath cannerpot on it because the user guide says not to use speckled enamal pots on it. I went out and bought a LARGE stock pot made of stainless steel to use. I do use my pressure pot on it for canning without any problems. Hope this helps….
I have a question. Will the soaking method work with peas and other garden vegtables?
My great-grandmother was from the north. And she lived no easy life either. She lost her first baby 3 days after it was born. Swore she would never have another. She then got pregnant again and had 9 children! Her husband died 3 years after her last child was born. She was left to raise all 9 children. She used everything. To this day, I bake my bread in tin cans because that is how she did! It comes out beautiful!
She taught me that all families have there problems, but at the end of the day, you accept them for who they are. They ARE your family and they are important!
Christy, I have tears in my eyes from reading your post. You are wise beyond your years from respecting your wise and wonderful elders and from being on the journey to prove out the wisdom they instilled in you.
One very important lesson I learned was the respect it took to make a three generation household work well for everyone. Respect was paramount in our family and was expected of everyone. My grandmother was a paragon
of this virtue and consequently my father, who was her son-in-law not only never made a mother-in-law joke, but rather loved her as if she had birthed him.
Although they have both been gone for over thirty years, I still love to focus my mind on them and their great love and respect for each other.
[...] Freezing Apples – and what the old folks taught me. [...]
They say you learn something new everyday…and this is mine!
Thanks Christy!
My Aunt Tootie always said, “Life is too short to be at odds with one another.” She was the youngest of 8 children, never married, and devoted her life to taking care of her family. She lost 2 siblings at a young age and that is what inspired her to live by those words.
As a young child I stayed with our next door neighbor while my Mom taught school. Our neighbor was a little older than my parents, more the grandparent type and she always had a Royal Blue Poster type print on her wall that was outlined in gold glitter that read “Do Unto Others as you would have them do unto you.” She told me that was the Golden Rule to live by. It was usually one of the first things I saw each a.m.when I arrived. Such a true wonderful statement to live by now and always. I always thought it was the gold glitter that caught my eye, but now I think it was the fact that she lived this way in her own life.
Mama was an old-fashioned steel magnolia from Georgia, perfectly mannered and genteel. Etiquette mattered, and she was quick to explain that using proper etiquette was a way of showing respect for other people. She also had a terrific way with an aphorism. “If you want to keep your friends,” Mama said, “never discuss religion, politics, or each other’s children.”
Oh my goodness…I love this and plan to continue this phrase for my family! Thank you for sharing! {SO TRUE}
My Mama always said “Don’t do nothing you would’nt do down in front of a church full of people.”
My Daddy always said ” Don’t believe anything that you hear and only half of what you see” and ” Can’t never could do anything”.
Were you ever told “Pretty is as pretty does”? The older ones had a way of saying things!
Neeto! I just went picking apples and have a whole slew. I used to make apple pie filling and can it. Your technique is alot less work. Thanks for the tut.
I do this also for fruit that I will be serving raw, Such as with dips and caramels.
They stay beautiful that way! As always thanks for the tips and for the wonderful stories that take us back! When praises go up, blessings come down!
will this work for other fruits besides apples? like pears?
I do it with pears
Our precious Mother always told us seven children if we couldn’t say anything nice about anyone don’t say anything at all. She truly live the example of the Christian life of doing for others. We miss her and our Dady so much.
re apples. My mother, an accomplished cook with a radio show and a newspaper column on cooking, froze her apples just this way. Also her summer squash. Once, she got the squash and made pie, instead of the apples. Better to label the packages.
Ha! That’s funny. Was it good???
When I was going through my “tumultuous teen” years and thought my parents were backward and old-fashioned because of the things I was not allowed to do, my mama would say: “Right is always right & wrong is always wrong. Those two things never change.” Now that I have teenagers, I see how very smart my mama was then & continues to be!
I have two sayings that I really like and tat seem to be appropriate often:
1. People always dislike in others the things they are the most guilty of themselves.. (well worth remembering before you get miffed at someone…)
2. In a relationship, if you give 80% and expect 20% and if the other person gives 80% and expects 20%, they both end up with a lot more than they expected. (a solid plan from my view…)
Thanks for the apple freezing recipe!!!
I like what you said. I posted this on my FB. “Live in the moment, Focus on what is important.” thanx Christy!!!!
My Dad always said “pretty is as pretty does” and ” believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see”. My junior high school PE teacher told our class ” all ladies are women, but not all women are ladies”.
My dad, born in 1899 always said there was some good in everyone. No matter how mean spirited. Sometimes you just had to look a lot deeper to find it. Also to kill any meaness from others with kindness in return. I am now 68 and have tried to live my life as he did and believe me it works!
He was a wise man indeed Flo!!
Christy, I put up apples with my Mom yesterday afternoon, the second time this year. Last batch consisted of freezing apples and making a batch of apple butter along with apple peel jelly. When we started yesterday, I started thinking there has to be a better way!! I started going through my kitchen gadget drawer and came across my melon baller!! I cut the apple in half and scooped out the core with the melon baller and it was so easy and quick! Then I just cut out the bottoms and sliced the apples the way I wanted them. I’m all about making anything easier!!
I love it when little gadgets come in handy! I just know you and your Momma had a fun day putting up apples. I hope you enjoy the apple butter and have some for me!!
I have really enjoyed reading the bits of wisdom from everyone. Reading them has reminded me of my Mama’s favorite saying…”To knoweth to do right and doeth it not, to Him is sin.” It always amazed me as a teenager that she felt the need to quote this to her children so often!!! Now, as I look in the mirror and see my Mama looking back at me, I can only wish that I had her wisdom.
Christy~ as always love your post. I would read them even if I knew I wasn’t going to get a delicious recipe at the end!
I have a question about the apples. Do you just drain them and then proceed with freezing or are you rinsing them too? Kind of worried about a salty taste.
I love this idea though because you’re left with apples that you can do anything with. It is just me and my DH and I hate making huge batches of canned goods that we can’t eat..this way I can see fried apples, apple cake, apple pie…you get the idea…lol
I immediately felt a kinship with you because my mother is 81 and her name is Lela. I have many friends but I’m proud to say that she is my best friend. She grew up in the South, lost her first husband just 2 weeks before I turned 1 and her 2nd 2 years ago, just a few months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. She grew everything and canned or froze everything. She even pasteurized milk we got from the neighbors. She taught me about the Lord which kept me going for my own 2 children when I lost my husband in an accident 10 yrs ago….. All the sayings I’ve read are ones that she said often but my favorite is “Don’t let anyone make you believe you’re less than you are. You are somebody to someone.” I love you mom.
I had a wonderful group of girlfriends and their mothers were my role models. I remember one mother telling us the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! I took positive tidbits and filed them in my mind to live by. I borrowed the lessons of my wonderful friends, their family and my great school to form who I am.
I did this last year for all my pies and peach cobbler for thanksgiving about 2 weeks ahead of the big day. The apples looked as if they had only been frozen the day before and were just as good as if prepared fresh. It was a huge time saver considering I had to cook for about 12 people and had half a dozen other items on the menu, plus it also freed up a ton of space you know is needed on those Hollidays.