Food Friday: Apples and pumpkins, oh my!

It's the season for apples and pumpkins, and Red Crossers are sharing some of their favourite seasonal recipes, which are fun for the family.foodfriday_michelleOZ

Michelle Wallis, from the Fund Development team in Ontario, says come this time of year, her family roasts their own pumpkin seeds for a snack (after they carve the pumpkins -- check out the great pumkin carving in the photo!). She shared her recipe below and promises a ‘very yummy snack’:

• Pick a nice big pumpkin

• Remove seeds and place in strainer

• Place strainer in a large pot and fill pot with water so that seeds float

• Remove pulp from seeds

• Set oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place seeds one layer deep on baking trays

• Sprinkle with generous amount of your favourite pre-mixed spices (old El Paso Taco, Mrs. Dash® Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend, McCormick’s Cajun Chicken Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Lemon Pepper) or make your own

Bake at 175 for 2-3 hours, or as long as required until seeds are completely dry and crisp.

IMAG0484 (3)Tara Monks – Canfield, from Meals on Wheels program in Ontario has a tradition of taking her children to a farm in Milton to pick pumpkins and apples. “The kids enjoy taking the hay ride to the apple orchard and prepare to pick the biggest, juiciest apples they can find,” she says.

Tara’s homemade applesauce:

• 15-20 apples, peeled, cored, and diced (we like Cortland, but Macintosh or Honeycrisp are also good varieties)

• 2-3 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and diced (for a little extra variety!)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp lemon or orange zest

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 cup granulated sugar (alter to taste)

• 3 tbsp cinnamon (alter to taste)

Wash, peel, core, and dice the apples and pears, and place in a large pot. Add the water, lemon juice, and the lemon or orange zest. Stir.

Place on a burner over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the apples start to break down, add the sugar, cinnamon, and water. Keep stirring occasionally until the fruit has the consistency of soft lumps. Use a potato masher or a mixer to break up the lumps of apples and pears, and keep simmering and stirring until smooth.

Eat hot or allow to cool and then refrigerate in a tightly sealed container.

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