Friday, October 21, 2011

There's an Equation in Here Somewhere . . .

If I knew anything at all about math other than adding and subtracting*, I could probably come up with something important-sounding that would express how the amount of work I have to do in the kitchen is directly proportional to the number of fruit flies swarming around the house.

But since I don't have the ability to come up with anything important-sounding, I'll just tell you that I picked up many, many pounds of free and maybe a-little-past-their-prime apples yesterday (thanks, Alyssa's dad and the guy who owns the local orchard and gives the apples to Alyssa's dad!) and let you imagine how many fruit flies we have in the house at the moment.

Irritating.

I'm not sure how many pounds I actually have, since my inability to do math also seems to include an inability to estimate weight accurately, but I'm guessing about 75 pounds. When I mentioned to the MiL that I had picked up the apples, she asked me, "So how many did you get? A shitload?"

I think I'm getting a reputation.

I made a couple of batches of applesauce yesterday--about seven quarts--which I will can today. I keep telling myself this is the very last of the food preservation chores for the season and I just need to get through this next week full of apples and paring knives and food mills. Then I can sit back and rest on my laurels. And eat.

In the meantime, I'll be drowning in applesauce and swatting at fruit flies.

Have a happy, fruit-fly-free weekend, duckies!

* Speaking of math, I cannot tell you how much I dread Cubby coming home with math homework and asking for help with it. A.'s not a math whiz, either. Cubby may be on his own with that crap.
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 21, 2011 at 6:04 AM

    I'm sure you'll be drawing a deep breath when the last of it is all done. Here's to a peaceful, canning free, winter.

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  2. Phoo-DOctober 21, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    It will be worth it. Homemade applesauce is awesome. Have you ever tried an apple peeler/corer/slicer gadget? http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Machine-Peeler-Corer-Slicer/dp/B000UZA2HQ We used to have one when we had apple trees. It works great if the apples are mostly normal size. The big ones don't work so well.

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  3. AnonymousOctober 21, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    You also must figure into the equation somehow the aggravation factor of the fruit flies. Plus the protein added by said fruit flies in applesauce.

    Math ...isn't that a foreign language? Beth

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  4. JoellenOctober 21, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    I have not been able to help my sons with math since they were in the 4th grade.

    Good luck with the apples. Have you tried peeling them with a vegetable peeler. I find it much easier than a knife.

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  5. AlyssaOctober 21, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    I've been leaving the skins on mine to save time and because I like the color. Not sure if you knew - they're not drops this year (that's how I decide which way to go with the skins). Never enough apple sauce...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lindsey at NW Backyard VeggiesOctober 21, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    I use a vacuum cleaner attachment to suck the flies out of the air.

    It is sadistic and therapeutic at the same time.

    I got an apple peeler/corer and it has been the best little contraption in my kitchen since we go through homemade applesauce like Grant through Richmond.

    chawat - the sound your arm makes as it cuts through the air swatting at fruit flies.

    ReplyDelete