Fall Color | Pujakins

Heartwings says, “The colors of fall are equaled only by the tastes.”

On the road for a short trip recently, with my daughter at the wheel of the car, I was at liberty to feast my eyes on the fall color lining the highway. It was glorious, and I relished the rare opportunity. As I am usually the driver, I do not ordinarily have the opportunity to luxuriate in the passing scene. Keeping my eyes on the road while driving, rather than on the scenery must of course be my priority.

I love the colors of fall. For years they have inspired me to create poetry and photography. Fall is also when the apples ripen and are available in farm stands. The local apples are to me far tastier than any others, and the variety the farm stands offer is superior to those available in the market. I can almost never find my very favorite, Courtlands, anywhere except in local places that sell the older kind of apples that are not often mass produced.

There was once a wonderful orchard in Grafton. Sadly, it fell victim to the desire by the owners of the land for more houses. I will always remember the forest of white and pink blossoms adorning the trees that eventually became the fine local apples I bought every year. One spring day as I did every year, I drove over to see them; they were all gone. To my dismay, the beginnings of homes sprouted where they had once been. Perhaps to be fair, the land owners didn’t want to maintain the orchard. It requires a lot of work.

Apples are versatile fruit and can be used in a great many ways. Of course, it is delightful to bite into a raw one. Though to my way of thinking there is no comparison between a Courtland and a Macintosh or worse, a so-called Delicious. If you are not familiar with the less commercial varieties, I urge you to check out a local apple barn if you can find one, or a farm stand. There are places you can pick your own, as well. My favorite ways to use them are, applesauce, baked apples, and apple crisp.

I make my own applesauce using a food mill-see the internet to buy one, a wise investment. You can make something that bears no resemblance to the bland applesauce you can buy, and you don’t have to peel or core the fruit. For three or four pounds of apples, I use two sticks of cinnamon, some cider, and no other sweetener or ingredients. After I halve them and remove the blossom ends to prevent black specks in my applesauce, I pour half water, half cider to not quite cover them and add the cinnamon sticks. Once they boil, I cook them on low for 4 or 5 hours stirring occasionally, or on low overnight in a slow cooker.

Next, I remove the cinnamon sticks and grind the apples through the food mill. I put the applesauce in a container with the cinnamon sticks and store it in the fridge. Once you try this, you’ll never want to eat any other applesauce!

May you enjoy all that fall has to offer.

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS Do you have recipes or perhaps stories to share about fall or anything else? I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading and especially for commenting if you do.

Autumn Blaze

One house we lived in had a window in the upstairs bathroom with a view of trees and fields. Each year in August I would look out this window in anticipation of the bright red patch that always appeared in an otherwise green expanse of a maple tree. It seemed that much brighter for being surrounded by the remaining green leaves. Later the rest of the tree would turn red, yet there was something very special for me about that first splash of color.

Perhaps that is because it heralded my favorite time of year. I cherish the first tinges of red and yellow beginning to blossom in the trees by the roadside. It is truly said that the strong colors of fall echo the pastel shades of spring except that they are strong and vivid. I have also noticed that in the weeks before the autumn colors emerge, the green of tree leaves takes on a grayish look that hints at the ageing of the leaves, preparing them for their ultimate brilliance. The other colors are present in the leaves all along. When the cooler weather comes, the green disappears and the red and yellow take over.

Fall colors are lovely and bright. Pumpkins, squash, chrysanthemums, apples, and fiery leaves are all part of its panorama. Highway vistas of hills plumped up with pillows of brilliant hue are a delight to drivers and passengers alike. As spring is a time of tentative melodies and pastel colors so fall is loud and strident, its colors are bold, its thunders vibrate around us. Farmstands open up and share their bounty with passers by. In more rural areas little collections of garden produce appear by the side of the road with prices and trustful boxes for payment.

When I was a child I delighted in scuffing through the rustling leaves. I loved the sounds and the tastes of fall. The sweet concord grapes that grew on the fence around my great aunt Alice’s garden tasted so wonderful. I was equally happy to breathe the slightly sharp air of fall that held a tinge of the frosts to come. I didn’t care much for raking the leaves, however I got paid to do it and that helped. I never tended my parents’ gardens, nor was I asked to. Later when I had a garden of my own, as fall emerged I hurried to pick the last tomatoes as well as the remaining marigolds. However I paid someone to rake the leaves.

Busy squirrels scurry around storing up food for the winter. Some alas are harvested by swiftly traveling automobiles. These provide a feast for the crows, so nothing is wasted. Autumn is a time for all of us to store food. My mother busily canned and later froze her garden produce. When I had a large freezer I did too. I loved the feeling of providing for my family. Now I can’t store much food for the future, however I can take advantage of the seasonal plenty. I got out my old Fanny Farmer’s cookbook and looked up apple recipes. We had Apple Brown Betty for supper. Yummy! Fall is my favorite time of year and I rejoice in its bounty as well as its beauty.