The November challenge is apples, pears, and quince. While I have about five quince* at home and am looking at recipes to use them, what I decided to do for the challenge was make applesauce with a dear friend. After she and I met at the Farmer’s Market to choose 20 pounds of apples each – one a blend of 1.99 ones, and the other  a blend of 1.59 ones – we headed to my house to use the wonderful Food Mill I got for Christmas last year (thanks again, Mom and Dad!)

From the Blue Book , the recipe is

2-3 pounds apples per quart

Up to ¼ cup sugar per pound of apples

To make the applesauce: wash, halve apples and cook in boiling water until tender. Run through food mill (upon my friend’s suggestion, we ran the pulp through again.) Bring the sauce to a boil, add sugar to taste (we didn’t add very much – about ¼ cup for the entire 20 lbs.) Place in quart or pint jars (I did quarts, my friend did pints) with ½ inch headspace, remove bubble and adjust, if necessary. Put two piece lids on, screwing bands finger tight.

Process in a waterbath canner for 20 minutes for both pints and quarts.
Yield for 40 lbs of apples - 7 quarts; 13 pints.

Whoops! I’m behind on getting our next read-along started, but I think that if we choose a smaller book, we can start on the 29th and have 4 weeks to read.


I have a couple of suggestions, but am not wedded to them. Let me know which one captures your interest, or make an alternative suggestion.

I was thinking we could continue the Jane Austen Nativity tradition (ok, it was just one year ;) ) and choose Sense and Sensibility.

I’ve been wanting to re-read Wuthering Heights.  - I really didn’t like it when I first read it (in High School) but did love the movie.I’ve read a couple of references  to it this year, and love the character of Heathcliff in the Thursday Next books, so thought perhaps it’s time to revisit it.

I picked up C.S. Lewis’ Surprised by Joy this summer, and thought that might be an interesting read.

Lastly, we could go back to a classic children’s novel and choose something by Louisa May Alcott
or?

Let me know what captures your fancy, and my apologies again for my lateness on getting this going this year.