The taste of autumn

The crisp air and festive colors of autumn have arrived and it’s a great time to get out and enjoy the best the season has to offer. From navigating one of North Carolina’s many corn mazes to diving into piles of crunchy leaves, there are plenty of fun activities to build up a healthy appetite. At the end of a day, try serving your family dishes that feature the warmth and comfort of fall flavors.

Few ingredients say fall like apples, and especially, apple butter. A long, slow simmering of apples in kettles and pots with sugar and spices make your house smell good and the tasty apple butter that results can enhance your recipes from breakfast to dinner. Or you can easily purchase prepared apple butter.

Try Apple Butter Roast Chicken or Spiced Apple Cake With Orange Glaze. For more fall recipes, or to download a free e-recipe book, visit musselmans.com.

Buying local

In North Carolina, the four major varieties of apples produced are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome and Stayman. In addition, there are more than 40 other varieties grown on a limited basis, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. These include new cosmopolitan varieties such as Empire, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Jonagold and Mutzu. And antique varieties such as Arkansas Black, Grimes, Limber Twig, Virginia Beauty and Wolf River are still available at roadside stands in the state. Golden Delicious and Fuji are among good apples to use to make apple butter.

To find locally made apple butter and apples, visit ncfarmfresh.com and search by county or by region.