Peeling, Slicing, and Preparing the Apples

The First Step in the Harvest Festival Apple Pie Tradition

Long before the Harvest Festival arrives, the work begins with one of the most important steps in making our homemade fried apple pies—preparing the apples.

Each July, volunteers gather to peel, slice, and prepare hundreds of apples that will eventually become approximately 700 homemade fried apple pies. It is a day filled with busy hands, fresh apples, conversation, laughter, and the joy of serving together.

While preparing the apples is time-consuming, it is also one of the favorite workdays of the year. Friends catch up with one another, new volunteers are welcomed, and generations work side by side, continuing a tradition that has been part of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church for decades.

The photographs below capture just one chapter in the Apple Pie Tradition. They preserve the memories, friendships, and faithful service of the many volunteers who help make the Harvest Festival possible each year.

Want to learn the complete story behind our Harvest Festival Apple Pie Tradition? Visit our Apple Pie Tradition page to follow the entire journey—from the first apples peeled in July to the finished homemade fried apple pies enjoyed during the Harvest Festival.
 
This photo gallery captures one step in the Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church Apple Pie Tradition. We invite you to continue exploring the journey by visiting our other Apple Pie Tradition pages, where you can see each stage of preparing our homemade fried apple pies and the volunteers who make this cherished Harvest Festival tradition possible.