Autumn has traditionally been the season of harvest in Europe and North America, and in fact, the season’s name itself used to be “harvest.” Even today, it is a critical time for many crops to be gathered, such as pumpkins and apples, and these plants can be used for a stunning variety of foods, many of them desserts, as well as decoration for Thanksgiving, festival, and weddings. An orchard or pumpkin patch at a farm can also make a great spot for a fall festival, where hay rides, making scarecrows, touring farm communities, and most of all, picking apples and pumpkins. Apple donuts, apple pies, pumpkin pie, and much more can be made from these two crops, as well as great fun outdoors for kids and adults alike together them. How can apples and pumpkins go from farm crops to apple donuts and pies?
Desserts with Apples and Pumpkins
Autumn treats such as pumpkin pie, apple donuts, apple fritters, and more can be either bought at the store or, for more authenticity, baked from scratch at home, especially with ingredients hand picked from farms and orchards open to the public. A person can even look up nearly farm communities and their hours of operation, and take the whole family for a thrilling day of picking pumpkins, gathering apples at orchards, and more. For the adults, this means getting fresh ingredients for desserts, anything from apple donuts to apple pie and more.
Apple pie is a particular favorite among Americans. Crisco and the American Pie Council both carried out a survey to find what desserts Americans most prefer a friend or family member to bring to a holiday dinner, and pie was the number one choice at 29%. And among pies, apple is the most popular at 47%, with pumpkin at 37% and chocolate cream third at 32%. These pies can be great for Thanksgiving or any dinner during autumn, and apple donuts, apple fritters, and more are also dessert and snack options for those with fresh picked apples to bake with.
Pumpkins can also make for great desserts and snacks. Pumpkin pie is often the classic dessert for Thanksgiving, especially with whipped cream, and even pumpkin seeds can be salted and baked in the oven for a low calorie snack option. A person can look up even more creative pumpkin dessert options to serve at Thanksgiving.
Decoration and the Orchard
Apple donuts and pumpkin pie are the end result of a personal harvest. Taking the family to a farm for a festival can be great fun for everyone, and kids will love climbing ladders to pick hundreds of apples and browsing pumpkin patches to find a desired pumpkin to carve into a jack o lantern or make into pumpkin pie. Pumpkin seeds are planted in late May and early June, so by October, they are at their ripest and their best orange color, making it a perfect time to harvest. And for the adults, not only are crops like these good for baking, but they are also fine options for decoration. A wedding venue in October or November can make use of a rustic autumn look, complete with wooden signs, bales of hay as seats, strings of white lights, glass jars for holding flowers, and most of all, pumpkins, apples, gourds, and more crops arranged neatly in wooden or wicker baskets as decor. Many weddings have a theme based on season or location and any October or November wedding in the Midwest or eastern states can take advantage of this theme for a wedding reception in style.