Since joining Fresh City Farm‘s CSA delivery program, I have helped save 0.63 trees, injected $6,743 into the local economy, prevented 153.1kg of GHG emissions and saved 85.4 hours shopping for groceries! What’s more, it has helped me focus on eating healthy and sustainable food, while supporting my body’s nutritional needs. Eating local and seasonal food helps keep us attuned to the earth’s natural cycle and our own cycles. When we eat foods that are harvested at their peak ripeness, they provide us with the most health benefits. Seasonal produce is fresher, tastier, more nutrient dense, environmentally-friendly and affordable.
There are many other ways to support your local farmers and contribute to the local economy. Shopping at farmer’s markets, food co-operatives or picking your own fruits and veggies are just a few ways to get involved. Last weekend, I treated myself to a farm-to-table experience just outside of Toronto. I spent the day apple picking with my niece at Applewood Farm & Winery, then whipped up this delicious apple butter from scratch! Apple butter is thicker than apple sauce, making it the perfect dip, spread or fruit compote. It’s perfectly sweet, tart, smooth and buttery.
This recipe is made from a variety of apples, including macintosh, gala, cortland and honeycrisp. It’s lightly seasoned with cinnamon and sea salt and sweetened with coconut sugar. There’s no need to skin the apples, as they pack most of the fibre and nutrients. Apples contain a type of fibre known as pectin, which acts as a natural gelling and thickening agent. The coconut sugar also helps to caramelize the apples and create that thick and creamy consistency.
Apple butter is traditionally made using a slow cooker, reduced for about 10-12 hours. I made this recipe in the Instant Pot in less than 2 hours! If you don’t have one yet, I highly recommend it. It combines the features of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge maker, steamer, sauté/browning, yogurt maker and warmer. It’s the perfect kitchen appliance for making warming fall recipes likes soups, stews and chilis. The stainless steel pot is also a healthier alternative to most slow cookers, which are often coated with toxic chemicals.
- 5 lbs local apples
- ¼ cup filtered water
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Wash, core and loosely chop apples, leaving the peels on.
- Add apples and water to the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure.
- Blend until smooth using an immersion blender (or transfer to high speed blender)
- Add remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot and set to slow cook on high.
- Allow to cook uncovered for 1-2 hours or until desired consistency is reached.
- Spoon into mason jars and store in the fridge.
Now that summer is officially over, it’s the perfect time to make your house embody the essence of fall. Grab a bag from your local farm and meet me in the kitchen. Happy picking!
Leave a Reply