Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

From Farm to Table: Simple Ways to Apple-y Goodness

By 42 Comments

Would you be shocked if I told you Thanksgiving is next weekend?

Trust me, I’m just as surprised! Mother Nature has been throwing Ontarians for a loop lately, so it’s no wonder that the date creeped up on us. However, as soon as the weather starts to cool, I have no doubt we’ll suddenly be tuned into all things fall. And I love this season especially; the bountiful harvest inevitably reminds me of my special times at Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm.
Have you visited the farm this season? You’ll want to pop down to their expansive orchard before the end of October. At the moment, Red Delicious and Northern Spy apples are ready for picking, while Honeycrisp apples are already picked and ready for purchase! 

Of course, not all apples are created equally, and you’ll find some varietals more suitable than others, depending on your needs. Here’s my cheat sheet – which conveniently coincides with Chudleigh’s Pick Your Own (P.Y.O) Calendar.
Red Delicious – P.Y.O September 27. Red Delicious apples are an American classic with mild sweet flavors and only a few notes of tangy acidity. The apples are best enjoyed fresh (they brown very quickly, watch out!) or tossed with a bit of lemon juice and added to green, fruit or chopped salads.

Northern Spy – P.Y.O September 27. Northern Spy apples have a tender-crisp flesh that is creamy yellow and juicy. More sweet than tart, the apples have a hint of pear flavour and are as versatile as apples come. Often touted as the best apple for baking, they can be also be served raw, roasted, sautéed or slow cooked!

Golden Delicious – P.Y.O October 4. Golden Delicious apples are pale green to golden yellow with a firm white-flesh. The apples have a well-balanced ratio of sweet-to-tart aromatic flavour and a favourite with the little ones. The apples can be enjoyed raw or baked into crisps, crumbles, tarts, cakes and breads.

Ambrosia – P.Y.O October 11. I like to call Ambrosia apples “Honeycrisp light”; their butter-yellow skin is blushed with red, offering a crisp, juicy texture and sweet flavour. The apples compliment both sweet and savory preparations, including pot roast, polenta, couscous or rice.

Fuji – P.Y.O October 11. Who can resist a Fuji apple? The apple’s creamy white flesh is dense, juicy and crisp with very low acidity. This sweet apple pairs well with cheeses such as sharp cheddar, and also hold up extremely well when cooked.

Granny Smith – P.Y.O October 18. An iconic apple with a bright white flesh, crisp texture and tart, acidic, subtly sweet flavour. You can do a lot with a Granny Smith apple, but hands down the only thing you *must* do is dip it in caramel!

Will you be cooking or baking with apples this Thanksgiving? Versatile and delicious, they’re always included in our celebration (usually in my stuffing)! However, this year I’ll be incorporating the goodness of Chudleigh’s apples in a whole new way –
In 1995, Chudleigh’s invented the world-famous Apple Blossom, a single-serving twist on the classic apple pie made with Northern Spy apples.

Would you believe these blossoms were baked from frozen? Chudleigh’s makes a full line of made-from-scratch desserts in a bakery, just a few minutes down the road from the family farm. On our recent trip to the farm, I grabbed Caramel Apple Blossoms and Apple Berry Blossoms.
The desserts, including scrumptious cakes like Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and the new Butter Toffee Sticky Cake, are made with simple, high-quality ingredients and frozen fresh from the oven to bring a taste of the farm home.

They’re a great option for Thanksgiving dessert – all the delicious flavour, a fraction of the work! Simply bake and serve.
And if you can’t make it to Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm, you can always pop into your local Longo’s or order online via Grocery Gateway. How’s that for convenience?

This Thanksgiving, serve up some apple-y goodness with Chudleigh’s apples and frozen fresh desserts. Hashtag your delicious creations with #Chudleighs on social media, and be sure to follow the farm on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @ChudleighsFarm. The farm is open daily until October 31 from 10 am to 5 pm; visit Chudleigh’s online at www.chudleighs.com.This post is sponsored by Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. lori galbraith

    We use to live near apple orchards and it was always the best. There are so many wonderful things to make with them. I love the desserts you shared.

    Reply

  4. Jenn

    I just love going down to the orchard during the fall. I am very much looking forward to it, but oh my goodness the caramel apple blossoms look so delicious! They come out to perfect – almost too pretty to eat! They would be a crowd pleaser and a conversation dish for sure in my family!

    Reply

  5. Darlene Schuller

    mmmm I love baked apple anything. When I was a small thing my Mom use to make me baked apples… gosh I loved them!

    Now I can’t wait to make pies n stuff!

    Reply

  10. Susan T.

    Those apple blossoms look delicious. I totally agree with you about the Granny Smith apples. They really MUST be made into caramel apples!

    Reply

  13. Elizabeth Matthiesen

    These do look marvellous. I like my apples to be sweet and not so crisp, Red Delicious is one I like when it’s really ripe. I’ve not eaten an apple in absolutely ages.

    Reply

  16. kristen visser

    oh my gosh Lena! those apple blossoms look absolutely delicious. My hubby isn’t one for desserts but anything apple he will eat so these would be a sure hit with the whole family

    Reply

  18. HEIDI C.

    My kids are going apple picking with their schoolmates this week. I can’t wait to make some yummy desserts with the apples that thy will bring home.

    Reply

  25. Elizabeth Matthiesen

    I remember visiting my grandparents in the summer and it was always a thrill to go into granddad’s garden, lots of fruit trees, apples, plums etc. The huge greenhouse full of plants and tomatoes, cucumbers etc. The garden beds with lettuce, radishes, swedes, runner beans, raspberries, strawberries and hens running around too. Loved it, practically impossible to find a house with a garden as big as his these days.

    Reply

  27. Debbie White Beattie

    I’ve been eating these pies for a few years and they’re so delicious that there are no words for me express how good they are except for me to say that the only way I’m giving them up is if pry them from my cold dead hands

    Reply

  31. Alison Braidwood

    I used to love picking Gravensteins when I lived in NS as a child. And I have a real fondness for Cox’s Orange Pippins, an English apple that’s hard to come by in Canada.

    Reply

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