The glories of fall are coming in fast, and that includes apples, APPLES, APPLES. I hope your family can squeeze in some time at a local orchard this fall to enjoy apple season (my favorite is Clearview Orchard in Haslett; a family-owned property with a farm stand and gorgeous views of the countryside). If you’re like me and find yourself overwhelmed with bags of apples and limited time to do something with them, let me share some of my favorite tricks. No canning, peeling, or pie crust rolling necessary (unless you want to!). When life hands you a bushel of apples, try these hacks that will use up a large quantity of apples and have your kids asking for more.
Easiest Applesauce Ever
There are two types of applesauce recipes. The first is very nice. It’s strained through a food mill, with a consistent, store-like texture, no peels in sight.
And then, there’s the kind my family usually makes. Chunky, tinged pink from peels (which are definitely still floating around too), and the simplest recipe ever. This is also the perfect solution for when a toddler takes a single bite out of 12 apples and leaves the rest untouched.
- Cut the apples into large chunks or slices about 1 to 2 inches thick and discard the cores. Put them in a large pot – I use a stockpot – and add enough water to cover the first layer of apple slices on the bottom. Optional: recruit a child to add a couple vigorous shakes of ground cinnamon.
- Bring to boil, then turn the heat to medium low and cover. Stir occasionally to keep the apples from scorching and to test their softness. Turn the heat off when they start falling apart (the sections of skin will also start to separate).
- Mash with a potato masher or use an immersion blender, let cool, and serve or store.
The Rubber Band Trick
Does anyone else’s kids have a hard time eating whole apples at school? I get it, loose front teeth are tricky! Soaking precut apple slices in water with a splash of lemon juice is a common hack to prevent browning, but what if you don’t have lemon juice?
Slice the apple as normal, but then put the slices back around the core like you’re rebuilding it. Then secure the slices with at least one rubber band. Keeping the slices next to each other prevents oxygen from reaching the exposed sides and turning brown.
Cinnamon Apple Slices
This is a daily fall snack in our house. Simply cut apple slices, let them sit in lemon water for a minute, strain, and toss with ground cinnamon in a large bowl. When I host a playgroup with a myriad of allergies and food intolerances to avoid – this is a go-to.
Skillet Apple Slices
Cinnamon apple slices become dessert! Melt butter or your preferred cooking oil in a large frying pan and cover the pan with apple slices with the skin on. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sauté until soft. My kids love this plain, but it’s extra special on top of ice cream. In the morning, add to oatmeal or yogurt.
Overnight Slow-Cooker Apple Butter
If you’ve never had apple butter, think of it as a thicker, darker, concentrated applesauce. It’s a sweet, apple-y, spiced spread that’s delicious over toast, oatmeal, and yogurt, or paired with cheese and crackers for a charcuterie board.
Most apple butter recipes call for peeling the apples, but honestly, you don’t need to. The long, slow cooking process will make the skins melt away in the rest of the brown, gooey goodness, nearly indiscernible. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 5-6 pounds of apples, cored and diced into 1” pieces
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Add all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours. This is great to start before going to bed, if you’ll have snatches of time the next morning to finish it up. Alternately, cook it on high for 4-5 hours. You’re looking for the apples to melt down and for their liquid to come to a strong simmer around the edges.
When they’ve fallen apart, puree with an immersion blender, then leave the lid ajar and continue to cook on low for another 2 hours or until thickened to your desired consistency. Keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools. Store in containers and let them cool before refrigerating.
