Homer gardener Tina Seaton’s two apple trees produce Norland and Parkland apples that are perfect for pies but just as tasty when eaten as soon as they’re picked. McKibben Jackinsky photo
Home(r) grown apples make a healthy snack
By McKibben Jackinsky
A
n apple in the toe of my stocking Christmas morning? It didn’t get any better when I was a kid growing up on the Kenai Peninsula in the 1950s. It was a bit mushy, not crisp, and bruised after traveling in Santa’s sleigh from some orchard outside of Alaska to my family’s house, but that didn’t matter. A fresh apple was a treat.
Now it’s possible to pick apples from trees in my stepdaughter Tina Seaton’s garden in Homer. Those gems of juicy freshness go into sauces, butters and pies, but the most enjoyment comes from eating one fresh off the tree. Apple trees have increasingly been popping up around the southern Kenai Peninsula. Greenhouses and high tunnels have lengthened growing seasons and provide a warmer indoor climate, while climate AlaskaPulse.com — March 2020 — ALASKA PULSE
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