Hi Folks:
Just when the signs of maybe having a spring were starting to show, we have another blizzard on the way. Times like this make me want to hit the sauce…..APPLESAUCE!
Apples have long been a mainstay of the homestead here in Maine, and we have over 200 varieties cultivated throughout the state. Did you know that until the mid-1800’s no apple trees could withstand the winters north of Bangor?….and then came the Duchess of Oldenburg. The Duchess apple cooks up into a delicious sauce, and there are fields of Duchess trees dotting the landscape in Aroostook County.
Give me Liberty…another great Maine apple whose parents include Macoun, Wealthy, McIntosh, Jersey Black and Rome Beauty….wonder what those trees do in a blizzard? procreate?
Wealthy makes a tart, outstanding sauce. Jonathan, originating from New York in the 1800’s, cooks up into a pink-tinged applesauce. and the Red Baron apple hails from Minnesota.
Empire also boasts of McIntosh and Red Delicious for parents, and makes a lovely, creamy sauce. Macoun, a McIntosh and Jersey Black cross, has a cult following here in the Northeast. Fameuse or Snow is one of North America’s oldest varieties, hailing from France and possibly thru Canada.
We have 12 different varieties of applesauce…all just straight fruit, no spices, no sugar. Nature’s perfect health food. Stir into yogurt, bake in cakes and cookies, enjoy for dessert. No meal is complete without the sauce.
Enjoy the snow and the sauce!
Thanks for supporting Maine agriculture.
Cheryl
Carrot Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Maine whole grain flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup grated Maine carrots
- 1/2 cup Apple Sauce
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup Maine maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted MOO butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Fold in the grated carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to combine. Do not overmix! Spoon into the muffin tin and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 – 20 minutes.