Apple picking + 6 cozy fall recipes | intentional living vlog
A day in the orchard, then back home to cook: sparkling apple lemonade, caramel-apple ice cream, goat cheese + cider ice cream, flaky apple danish, cider donuts, and apple-scrap vinegar so nothing goes to waste.
It’s a gentle fall day of apple picking, seasonal cooking, and slow living—where every step from orchard to table holds a little everyday enchantment. ✨
Watch next (laminated dough): https://youtu.be/Rg6k6SovuSo
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Always Uttori provides knowledge, inspiration, and experiences to help Uttori Zoku embrace moments of enchantment in the everyday.
The term Uttori is derived from the Japanese mimetic phrase uttori suru (うっとりする), which means the feeling of being enchanted. At Always Uttori, creating and finding enchantments to share with Uttori Zoku (our way of saying the Uttori Tribe), is our main goal. Started in 2016 as a fashion and lifestyle blog, Always Uttori covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, psychology, sociology, and offers handmade product at through our Etsy store all in the pursuit of the Uttori Lifestyle.
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This is enchantment wandering where we find magic and the everyday. Autumn is the season
that makes slowing down feel natural. Time to take in the colors. Breathe in the crisp air and gather
what the season gives. Today we’re going apple
picking and turning the harvest into six cozy fall recipes, all inspired
by the season’s simple enchantment. Even though we’ve been waiting for
fall weather, it’s only just now
starting to feel like it. When I filmed this in September,
it was almost 90 degrees. all sun, no sweaters. We brought a little picnic—stopped by Panera—and ended up eating in the car to beat the heat. I poured our homemade apple lemonade, inspired by a Japanese drink my mom loves. I’ll show you our take later in the video. I enjoyed a basil BLT. After we ate, we headed into orchard. We grabbed picking bags and checked the prices: $4.49/lb (about 2–3 medium apples). This orchard grows so many varieties—Zestar!, First Kiss, SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Honeygold, Chestnut (crabapple), Ginger Gold, Sweet 16, Cortland, SnowSweet, and more. If some names are unfamiliar, many are Minnesota-bred cultivars from the University of Minnesota. See if it’s ready by tasting it. Yeah, some of these look ripe,
but I think the one you had maybe wasn’t ripe. Since it was mid-September,
some of the trees were still ripening. Once we were in the rows, it was hard to remember which varieties were actually ready, so we had to taste them. It’s okay. It’s still a little tart. No, they are. Well, the website said they are. We haven’t tried this one yet, right? It’s not ready. Oh, it’s so green. Oh, wow. One of the joys of visiting an orchard is tasting across varieties and noticing how each apple has its own personality—crisp vs. tender, tart vs. sweet, floral vs. spicy. In stores you usually only see certain varieties, And around here it’s mostly Honeycrisp and zestar At the orchard, You can try the niche varieties
and really taste the range. I’m curious, what varieties
do you usually find where you live? Overall, we liked
the apples with that tangy, sweet balance. the ones that tasted most distinctly apple to us. But of course, everyone has their own tastes. I like the Honeycrisp, a bit better. Really? This one’s actually pretty decent. Oh, really? You like this one better? That’s interesting. We all have different apple taste. I’m so surprised that I like this one better. Well I have to say the Honeycrisp tastes
kind of sweet and tart. This tastes like an apple. Has more of an apple flavor. Oh, this is a bit sweeter. Oh, it’s more sweet. Yeah. Skins. Kind of mushy. Yeah. It is kind of soft. With our tasting done, it was time to get picking. We got a wide assortment of apples, but there were a few standouts. We loved the Chestnut crabapple—tiny, very sweet, with a light nutty note. Sometimes crabapples get a bad rap, but often I’ve found them to be some of my favorite varieties. Sweet Sixteen was another favorite, which is supposed to have notes of citrus and vanilla. And I was excited to try Ginger Gold, which I hadn’t had before. It was discovered in 1969 by Ginger Harvey in Virginia—sweet with a hint of spice—so I really wanted to taste it. It was on the softer side, but had a sweet honey and almost ginger flavor. To be honest we felt a little underprepared for picking apples. Some people had long picking poles to reach the high branches. It would have also been nice to have a small knife for quick tastings. We should have also gotten more bags, and maybe even had a marker—to keep varieties separate. By the time we got home… we honestly didn’t know which was which. What the heck? It says. They’re all tiny. On the way out we spotted cherries on a Honeycrisp trunk I’m thinking it was grafted on,
but it really threw us for a loop. But look, look. Cause those are big down there. These are cherries, you know, cherries. Are you sure they’re hard? there in the middle of the apple orchard. It’s a Rainier cherry. It’s really tart. Yeah, it’s a unripe cherry. Okay. Before we weighed our haul, we wandered through the farm store and grabbed some of the orchard’s own sparkling apple cider. All told, we spent $54 for about eight pounds of apples plus the cider. Apple picking isn’t the cheapest way to buy fruit, but you’re really paying for the experience. It’s a sweet way to spend an afternoon, reconnect with nature, and appreciate where your food comes from. All of that got me thinking about the many ways to use apples and savor their flavors So I’ve got six recipes inspired by what we picked. When we got home, my brother had been apple picking at a different orchard and showed up with goodies. more apples (including RiverBelle and KinderKrisp), plus donuts and apple butter. We had quite the selection and had totally forgotten which apples were which, so we started with a little taste test—with some cheeses on the side. That pairing actually inspired our first recipe: Goat Cheese & Cider–Swirl Ice Cream with Fresh Apple Purée. Goat cheese and cider
swirl ice cream with fresh apple puree One of the first things we did was juice
a batch of apples for fresh cider. We’re going to use this
for our cider swirl. For the swirl,
I brought the apple cider to a boil, then simmered
until it had reduced to one half cup. Then I added cream, milk, sugar,
corn syrup, and a pinch of salt. The cider is slightly acidic,
so don’t be alarmed if it looks like the milk curdles. It will come back together when you mix it. If you want, you can add an optional teaspoon of milk powder for added creaminess. I used an immersion blender to mix the powder in to ensure everything was smooth. I let that cool and made the goat cheese
ice cream next. Combine milk, cream,
sugar, corn syrup, salt and milk powder. Then heat
until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat
and add the cream cheese and goat cheese. But to ensure there weren’t any lumps,
I used an immersion blender. Chill both the ice cream bases
in the fridge overnight. In my case, I have a Ninja creamy, I put them in the container that comes
with the machine and froze overnight. The next day. Churn or blend both the goat
cheese ice cream and the cider ice cream according to your ice cream
maker’s instructions. While your ice cream is churning. Finely chop one apple. I chose two smaller
chestnut apples for this. I used an immersion blender to puree the apple as much as possible, but having some small chunks adds to the texture we just don’t want them to be too big otherwise it might be difficult to eat when frozen. Pour the goat cheese ice cream into a container. to the cider ice cream mix in the apple puree, The cider ice cream is a looser texture,
so it’s easy to pour onto the goat cheese Ice cream. You can gently mix the two together,
but don’t mix too much. let it hard freeze
for at least four hours before enjoying. I’ve been chasing an apple ice cream that tastes like pure apple,
not stewed pie filling, and the charcuterie vibes from this ice cream nailed it: tangy goat cheese, bright apple, and a cidery ribbon. I don’t want to steal the thunder
from the other recipes, but this might be up there for favorites. I’m already planning a remake next fall. My family gave it a full thumbs up,
and while goat cheese ice cream raises eyebrows, it turns out to be
a surprisingly good ice cream base. Next up is the apple lemonade. I teased at the beginning. It was inspired by a packaged
Japanese apple lemonade my mom had. You just added water, so we wanted
to recreate it to mimic the original. I’m using freeze dried Fuji apples,
but I’ve also included a fresh apple version since not
everyone has freeze dried fruit on hand. I’m using Fuji because of the
Japanese inspo, but any apple will work. I blended my freeze
dried apple into a fine powder, then poured the powder into a pitcher
and added the sugar and a pinch of salt. If you have fresh apples, core and roughly
chop the Fuji apples, no need to peel. Blend with two thirds cup of cold water
until very smooth. Strain through a nut bag or fine mesh
sieve to extract pure apple juice. Pour that juice into a pitcher
with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Now add the lemon juice and stir
until the sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining water. Okay. Serve over ice. For a fizzy version,
add sparkling water to the lemonade. And The apple takes the edge off the lemon
and makes a refreshing drink that will have you coming back for more. Next up is a simple apple filling you
can use for pies or in my case, Danish. I made a small batch with just one Honeycrisp: chopped it, then cooked it down with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of lemon. A little cornstarch helped the syrup thicken. Once cooled, it’s ready to spoon over pastry or a cream cheese filling before baking until
golden and bubbling. I’m not going to cover the Danish
dough here. This was an experimental recipe,
and laminated dough can be pretty labor intensive. many people use puff pastry instead. If you’re into lamination
and want a deeper dive, I’ve got a croissant
video you can check out. These turned out delicious. A cozy little way to enjoy fall. Does anyone remember the caramel apple
Blizzard from Dairy Queen in the early 2000? They haven’t brought it back,
but the food memory lives on. I’ve been chasing a homemade version
for years, but this year is the closest I’ve come. Though I still see room to improve, I was hoping for a tart
green apple at the orchard, but no luck. So this batch is a little cheat. a few drops of green apple candy
flavoring in the base For the ice cream, whisk together cream, milk, sugar, heat
until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 to 2 drops of green apple flavoring and if you’d like some green food
coloring. I also added vanilla, but it competed with
the apple too much, so I’d say skip it. Chill overnight for the caramel, cook sugar and corn
syrup over medium heat, stirring until melted. When it turns amber, pull it off the heat and stir in butter. Slowly whisk in cream until smooth. If it seizes and you get a sugar clump, you can return it to the heat to melt it
down. Just know that it can push the caramel
to overcook so it sets firmer. in the ice cream. That happened to me. It was still tasty, just less gooey. and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. Churn the base according to your machine. I used a Ninja creamy. Swirl
the caramel into the finished ice cream. If your caramel is a touch overcooked,
drizzle it on top. Freeze
at least four hours before scooping. It’s a passable—and very enjoyable—dupe, but I want to push it further. Next time, I’m trying a green-apple syrup made from real apples. If you’re into a side by side test. Fresh green apples versus flavoring. Let me know in the comments
or like this video. So I know to film it next year. Next up, a fall classic. Apple cider donuts.
Even though they’re everywhere. This was actually my first time
having them. My dad spotted a New York Times recipe
and now we’re obsessed. I used their base and made a few tweaks
to amplify the flavor. this recipe used more of the cider
we made to intensify the apple flavor. I reduced one cup of cider to one fourth
cup different from the times version. Bring the cider to a boil,
then simmer until reduced. Let it cool
while you prep the dough in a bowl. Cream ten tablespoons of butter
with the sugar until fluffy. Beat in two eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla. In a separate bowl,
whisk the dry ingredients. I adjusted the spice blend, adding clove, ginger, and allspice
instead of the nutmeg. Recommended by the Times. If you want the original flavor profile,
just add one half teaspoon of nutmeg. With the mixer on low. Slowly add the dry ingredients
to the butter until just combined. Pour in the reduced cider and mix briefly to incorporate. I used a mini donut maker
which took about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, but if you don’t have one, preheat
the oven to 350°F. Butter a donut pan and bake for 12 to 15
minutes, rotating halfway through baking. While they cook. Melt
the remaining butter and stir. One half cup of sugar with cinnamon. When the donuts are done, brush with
butter and toss in the cinnamon sugar. It’s optional. The donuts are great plain, but
the sugar makes them feel extra special. This was another one of my favorites
this season. With all the apples we used. I ended up with a mountain of peels
and cores in the spirit of no waste
and saving a few bucks. I turned them into apple scrap vinegar. Pack a clean jar about three fourths full with apple peels and cores, Add enough water to cover the apples. Then add one tablespoon of sugar
per one cup of water added. You can also add a splash of raw
apple cider vinegar to jumpstart the fermentation,
but that’s optional. cover the jar with a breathable material,
like a coffee filter or fabric covers. Let it sit at room temperature For the first week, stir once a day
or give it a good swirl. You’re looking for small bubbles,
a fruity, yeasty smell, and cloudy liquid around 7 to 10 when the bubbles slow
and the scraps look spent Strain out the solids. Pour the liquid into a clean jar. Cover it again with cloth and keep going. Now we’re in the vinegar phase
for the next 2 to 3 weeks. Stir or swirl 2 to 3 times a week
to give it a little air. A vinegar mother might form on top. That’s normal. Keep tasting weekly. You’re aiming for bright, clean acidity around 3 to 4 weeks total
and up to six weeks if you want it sharper when it tastes like vinegar
with no sweetness left, bottle it. You can keep the mother in
or strain it out. Store at room temperature to keep maturing
or in the fridge to slow it down. A quick note a thin matte white film is usually Kham yeast,
which is harmless. Just stir it in or skim it. If you see fuzzy colored mold, toss
it and start over. Keep everything clean. Keep the scraps under the liquid
and avoid metal lids touching the vinegar. Mine is still in the process,
but it looks good and bubbly. When I checked it last. if you made it this far. Consider subscribing
for more cozy food content. And if you’re craving more fall cook-spiration, check out these videos next! Thank you so much for watching
and remember And enchantment awaits,
Life is just about finding it.
1 Comment
Amazing info. Thank you . 🙏💞