This is what goes through my mind when I’m walking through the farmers market:

“Ok, Jessica, you are here for fruit and vegetables that you will eat.  Don’t get carried away.  Focus on your list.”
“Yes, I will focus on my list.  I only need a few things:  carrots, onions, spinach – Oh look!  Smoked garlic!  That’s interesting!”
“FOCUS”
“Yes, focusing on my – OMG!  Plants!  Aren’t the peonies so pretty!  I should buy some!”
“You already started a container garden and it’s…well – “
“- Oh, hush you, the tomatoes are doing fantabulous!”
“Yes but the cabbage has seen better days”
“Good point. Oooh look!  Bread!  I could buy a baguette and put it in my canvas grocery bag…it will be très français!”
“You bake bread from scratch for a fraction of what that bread costs!”
“You’re right.  I don’t need bread – but look!  Apples!”
“You don’t eat apples out of hand!”
“I know but they are organic AND sustainable!  I have to support a sustainable farm! Right?  Right!”
“Ok, but you *will* eat the apples!”
“Of course I will eat the apples, silly!”

Three weeks later the apples are still in my fridge:

“See, I told you you wouldn’t eat the apples.  Now what are we going to do with the apples before they go bad?”

Make Maple Sugar Apple Rings. 

These are actually really yummy.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I have demolished these much faster than I would have the actual apples. 

Add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice in a big bowl of water.  Slice the Apples as thinly as you can.  I choose not to peel the apples because the skin has most of the fiber in the apple, however, if you have picky eaters you can choose to peel the apples.  Cut out the core and place every apple slice into the bowl of lemon water.  This helps the apples from browning while drying.  Place the sliced apples in your dehydrator and sprinkle maple sugar over them.  Dry until they are crispy.

For me, these took a couple of days to completely dry.   If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place these in your oven at the lowest temperature that your oven will go.  Once they are done drying, move them to a plate and let them cool completely before putting them in a jar.  They won’t last very long, however…

Maple Sugar Apple Rings

Yield:  A little more than 1 quart

4 to 5 apples
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Large bowl of water
2 Tablespoons Maple Sugar

1. Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to the large bowl of water.
2. Thinly slice the apples and place them in the lemon water to soak until you are done slicing all the apples.
3. Lay the apples in a single layer in your dehydrator
4. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of maple sugar over the apples
5. Dehydrate
6. Once apples are completely dry, place on a plate to allow them to completely cool; jar.