When Joe Hodgson decided it was time to retire, he knew he would have to find something to keep him busy. And it seemed like at every turn, an apple orchard would show up. He and his wife, Penny, interpreted it as a kind of sign — and with his background as a landscape architect, tending trees didn’t feel too unfamiliar. They bought several acres in McMinnville and got to planting.
Today, the Hodgsons’ orchard is about eight years old and includes around 575 trees, which produce anywhere from 25,000-40,000 apples per year, depending on the season. His apples range from varieties that will be familiar to grocery store shoppers, like Pink Ladies and Galas, and lesser-known varieties like Arkansas Blacks and Jonagolds. Each has a unique flavor profile, and when planning the orchard, he chose varieties that would be ready at different points in the season so that he could harvest all autumn long.
Joe regularly invites volunteers out to pick apples alongside him and Penny, and a group from the Food Project typically goes a few times each year to participate in the timeless fall tradition.
For us, though, the fun doesn’t end in the orchard. Joe generously donates a large majority of his harvest to our kitchens, meaning that August through October each year, we work almost daily with apples. Our meals team is always coming up with new ways to use them, and whether we’re sharing them as whole fruit, baking them into cobblers or blending them into applesauce, they never get less delicious.
Here’s a truckload full of Fujis and Yellow Delicious heading to the headquarters kitchen!
Our meals coordinator Toni took hundreds of these apples, led a volunteer group in chopping them up, and then cooked them down with cinnamon and blended them with strawberries into a delicious, zero-waste fruit sauce for partners like Fifty Forward and Boys & Girls Club of Middle TN. See how she did it below!
Toni’s No-Waste Applesauce
Makes 8 servings
8 Fuji or Yellow Delicious apples, cored and chopped in bite-size pieces
1 cup strawberries, stems included
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more to taste)
2 teaspoon lemon juice (for preserving and keeping fresh longer)
In a medium saucepan combine apples, strawberries and cinnamon with a little bit of water. Cover and cook over medium heat until it simmers, then reduce heat to low, medium-low and continue cooking until the apples are tender and very slightly caramelized — about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once cooked, add lemon juice and stir. Then use an immersion blender or the back of your spoon to mash into a loose sauce.
Serve fresh (warm or cooled) as a healthy side or spoon over ice cream, pancakes, yogurt or granola. Store leftovers, cooled, in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Save the cores to make apple cider vinegar, add to vegetable stock, or apple jelly!