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Fall Favorites at the Farmers’ Market

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By Madison Jackson and Emily Meagher

Before the farmers’ market moves back indoors, we spend one last month with our tents up and our coats on to share fresh, local products with our community. Summer produce makes way for the fall harvest; a time for comforting food and drinks and festive seasonal products. Here are ten fall favorites you can find at our markets in October.

1. Apple cider and cider donuts
Saratoga Apple and Slyboro Cider House both operate their own orchards. Try their fresh apples, pressed apple cider, hard cider, and cider donuts. A real Upstate NY treat!

Saratoga Peanut Butter Company, photo by Madison Jackson

2. Pumpkin Pandemonium Peanut Butter
The name says it all. This Saratoga Peanut Butter Company creation is chock-full of rich pumpkin and peanut flavors. A guilt-free treat at only 2 grams of sugar per serving, it’s great on sandwiches, apples, ice cream, and more.

3. Hand-painted hats
Artist Gretchen Tisch, owner of Feathered Antler, gives hats a fall makeover. Pick up a leaf-accented fedora or hand-knit beanie at the market.

4. Hot chocolate cheesecake
Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes’ flavors vary with the season. Our current favorite is hot chocolate cheesecake. It’s perfect for when you have company, but perfectly acceptable to eat all by yourself! Also available are apple and pumpkin cheesecakes and cheesecake filled apples dipped in chocolate.

5. Apple cider fromage frais
Nettle Meadow does cheesemaking with a creative touch, and it shows with their seasonal favorites. Back at the market are the soft apple cider fromage frais, pumpkin spice and maple chevre, and the brie-like Early Snow.

6. Local wool
Elihu Farm’s sheep produce award-winning wool, sold as washed and unwashed fleeces at the market. Pick up a fleece to do some cozy fall crafting!

Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, photo by Emily Meagher

7. Spooky soaps
At Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, no shape of soap is too crazy. Their fall mineral soap collection includes ghosts, pumpkins, black cats, acorns, leaves, and owls.

8. Ornamental corn
Fresh summer corn is making way for ornamental fall corn. Pick up some calico or broom corn from local farms for fresh seasonal home decor.

9. Hand-ground cinnamon
Saratoga Spicery’s fresh-ground spices and spice mixes include hand-ground cinnamon. Give your baked goods an extra fresh flavor!

10. Pumpkins!
Farmers’ markets in October wouldn’t be complete without fresh gourds and winter squash. Local farms have a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes in stock – you can even find some hand-painted mini pumpkins.

Photo by Madison Jackson

This week: not a recipe, but a craft… how to make felt balls with wool roving!

How to Make Felt Balls with Wool Roving

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AdobeStock

Instructions from the Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Felted balls can be used to make a variety of craft projects like festive garlands, jewelry, mobiles, wreaths, and much more. The combination of heat, water, soap, and friction allows the fibers to mend together to create the ball. The entire process takes about 3 minutes.

Supplies
*Items currently available at the farmers’ market
● a selection of wool roving*
● dish soap
● warm water

Instructions
1. Rip the wool roving into small pieces (never cut the wool roving as the raw edges mend together easier).
2. Next, roll the small pieces of wool roving into a ball, overlapping each piece. This won’t be a perfect ball, just a rough ball or spherical shape. Be sure to make the ball of roving larger than you want the final ball to be because the ball will shrink as it comes together.
3. Now it is time to drop the ball of wool roving into a bowl of hot, soapy water. You only need to use a small drop of dish soap.
4. Let the ball soak for 5-10 seconds and then remove the ball from the bowl and begin rolling it between the palms of hands. Roll gently at first, just like you would roll a ball of play dough.
5. After rolling the ball around a few times, place your hand, with the ball, under hot running water…as hot as you can handle. Continue rolling the ball in your palms and placing it under hot water until it reaches the size and density that you want. The wool will bind together and shrink down.
6. When the ball has reached the size that you like, set the felt balls aside to dry out thoroughly. Once the felt balls are dry and firm you can use them as you like.