It is simply magical living in an area where a “Special Forecast” means pretty leaves and not dangerous weather. I lived on under a darker umbrella for a time. Trust me, this special forecast from our ABC affiliate WDIO is absolutely charming.
How can anything other than apple picking and canning seem important when such optimism and importance is placed on our gorgeous landscape?
I don’t have a counter argument. Instead, I spend my mornings chopping, dicing, and stewing bushels of locally grown apples.
A family friend picked these apples on a gusty night with only a headlamp for company. He wanted the apples off his trees before the storm hit and his vacation began. He delivered the apples to my mother before the sun came up.
I had to find a recipe to equal his efforts. I found it with the help of Maple Syrup tapped from our neighbor’s trees.
My recipe for Maple Apple Sauce is below. My daughters’ and I also made a batch with brown sugar. Substitute 1/2 cup brown sugar for the maple syrup and add a dash of nutmeg. We used white sugar too. It’s good, but lacks the depth of flavor the maple and brown sugar offer.
Don’t worry about canning your maple apple sauce. It won’t last long enough!

- 12 small apples
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Core and chop apples. Do not peel.
- Add ingredients to a pot.
- Cover. Cook over high heat until boiling.
- Lower heat to simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir frequently.
- Cool in pot.