Classic Apple Pie

Summer is winding to a close, which always makes me a bit sad. But, it means the start of a new season and there are so many wonderful things that come along with fall. One of them would be apple picking. 

There are early varieties that you can get before fall arrives, though, and I happened upon a big orchard full of late summer gala apples while attending an event and couldn't pass up the chance to do some picking. 

I was at Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana to be part of a consumer panel at a food-related conference last week. When I was finished, I wanted to take a few minutes to roam around the farm. I stopped in the building where admission tickets are purchased and noticed a little flyer about apple picking and asked a few questions. I wasn't aware that an apple orchard had opened for picking the previous season. Since things were just getting started for the season, I was offered a bag and the chance to go picking for free. I couldn't resist. 

On weekends, a tractor would be taking me out to the field. But, since it was a weekday, I'd have to walk. She warned me that it was about 3/4 of a mile to get to the trees that were ready for picking. It was a lovely day, so I was up for a walk. It was a lovely solo walk out there through the orchard. Coming back all sweaty and lugging about 15 pounds of apples was a little less lovely, but I kept my mind on homemade apple pie as I neared the finish line. 

My mom always made it pretty simply and I follow her lead. 

About 6 cups sliced apples

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp flour

1 tsp lemon juice

2 frozen pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and thaw crusts. Combine apples and lemon juice. Add sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix well. Pour mixture into one crust. Cut second crust into slices and create lattice pattern on top. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. And then if I were you, I'd eat it when it's nice and warm and put a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.