DEAR SUN SPOTS: Liliana Tripp began collecting food for food panties and helping Oxford County homeless shelters in 2020. Through her official nonprofit, she is working on her fourth annual food drive. In 2020, she collected 500 pounds and $500 worth of food for the Oxford Helping Hands Food Pantry.
Last year, she collected over 750 pounds of food and was able to donate to two area food pantries. This year, Liliana’s goal is to donate to and help as many Oxford County families as possible have a great Thanksgiving.
Please help Liliana meet her goal. There is a drop box at the end of the driveway at 64 Rabbit Valley Road in Oxford from now until Nov. 20. Please help this little girl and your neighbors in Oxford County have a great Thanksgiving this year!
For more information, contact me at 577-6234. — Laura, no town
ANSWER: I’ve been following little Liliana through Sun Spots for a while now, and although I don’t know her personally, this youngster is a firecracker with a big heart who has helped so many people in her neighborhood and beyond. She has exceptional drive and began this mission when she was about 7 years old. Please donate food to her cause if you’re able. Thank you!
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Recently the Sun Journal printed a list of apples from tart to sweet and which ones were best to use for what you wanted to make. I misplaced this list and I wonder if you could list it again.
I want to make some apple pies and sauce for friends and neighbors who aren’t capable of doing this themselves. Thank you for all you do to help us. — Rose, Lewiston
ANSWER: We weren’t able to find the list you’re referring to but I’ve put together suggestions to help you out. Using apples in cooking is often a matter of preference and I often use a variety for a balance of tart and sweet.
When a recipe calls for sugar or another sweetener in a recipe, I start out with less, then taste and adjust the amount if needed.
Go to Maine Pomological Society’s website (https://www.maineapples.org/varieties/) to learn more about apple varieties specific to Maine. I can’t cover all the varieties of apples here, but I can get you started:
Granny Smith: snacking (goes well with cheese), makes great pies and crisp, and is good in savory dishes such as stuffing.
Red Delicious: snacking, salads, pies when used with firmer varieties.
Gala: snacking, baked goods, savory dishes, chutneys.
Jazz: snacking, baked goods when combined with sweeter varieties, soups, applesauce, chutneys.
Honeycrisp: snacking, salad, savory dishes.
Cameo: snacking (goes well with soft cheeses), savory dishes.
Golden Delicious: can be used for anything.
Pink Lady: snacking, salads, sauce, apple butter, jelly, savory dishes, desserts.
Cortland: snacking, baking, applesauce, baked goods.
McIntosh: snacking, sauce, preserves, cider, desserts (do not hold their shape as well as others).
Braeburn: snacking (goes well with cheeses), cider, baked apples, savory dishes.
Jonagold: snacking, caramel or candy apples, sauce, cider, savory dishes.
Empire: snacking, baked apples, sauce, desserts, savory dishes.
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