21 October 2020 - Apple Day | The Everyday Lore Project

My aim tonight is to be super quick as I have Other Life waiting*. Having said that, I’m sure to waffle. Onwards! It’s Apple Day. Not to be confused with Oak Apple Day, that was on 29 May. Apple Day is a relatively new affair having started in 1990 to celebrate all things apple. Now, I’ve already done quite a lot of apple related things this year: I’ve scrumped (Michaelmas), made puddings (tansy), combined them with mashed potato (St Botvid’s Day), tested proverbs (The Eve of St Kenelm’s Day), spelled with them (The Eve of St Kenelm’s Day again), made jam (marrow), made fritters (Fritter Thursday), and wassailed with them; so I wanted to do something a bit different. I thought I would decorate with them.

Dried apple garlands are a thing. Apparently. So at 7.45am, I busted out the mandolin and started slicing. I started early as apples take a long time to dry in the oven. And indeed, sevenish hours later they were crispy. Also, who has an oven large enough for 6 trays?

Normal apples and the Michaelmas crab apples

Lemon and water — Normal apples and the Michaelmas crab apples

It was at this point I was tempted to lie and say I was making apple crisps as they were delicious, even the crab apples. I had taken the conscious decision to ignore crafting recipes that called for salt to be added to the lemon water, just in case I got peckish.

After peeling the slices off the paper, I had one bowl full of usables, and another slightly less full of duffers. Admittedly there had been more leftovers but I ate them in transit. Then all that was left was to thread them onto some string and hang my garland up. I mean it looks pretty, and had I given it more than a cursory thought, I probably could have also threaded up some acorns and bay leaves and cinnamon sticks for that cottagecore look. But I can’t help but think of my garland as one of those sweetie necklaces, in the same way as pot pourri looks like fancy Marks and Spencer crisps.