We eat them year round, but nothing beats the crunch of a freshly picked fall apple. Here are some tips to make the most of apple season.
Cooking
When the cool weather arrives and the leaves begin to change colour, what can be more comforting than the lovely aroma of simmering apples. Every fall I cook the classic apple desserts, from applesauce to apple crisp and pie, but I also like to try new recipes that help me rediscover this local fruit.
- Reinvented oatmeal
Why not cook your oatmeal with diced apples or simply add them to cooked oatmeal with some Greek yogurt and drizzle of maple syrup?
- Tasty soup
To add a touch of sweetness to your squash, carrot or cauliflower soup, throw in a few apples. We often use apples in desserts with a bit of cinnamon, yet they are just as delicious with curry and ginger in soups.
- Cheese and apple, a winning combination
For a little comfort food, make a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch with your favourite cheese and slices of apple. The combination of cheese and apple is absolutely divine.
- As chips
This addictive snack is easy to make—all you have to do is thinly slice the apples, ideally with a mandolin, and arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 75 °C (170 °F) for about 4 hours, turning the slices often.
Get to know the different varieties
There are many varieties of apple, each with its own characteristics. Cortland apples, for example, retain their shape and texture after they are cooked, making them ideal for stuffed apples or pies with nice, firm pieces. Others, like McIntosh, break down during cooking, so they are perfect for making applesauce. For salads, choose varieties that don’t turn brown quickly, such as Cortland and Honeycrisp, which are slow to oxidize.
Nutrition tip
Use applesauce to replace part of the sugar or fat in cookie, cake and pancake recipes. Not only will your desserts be more nutritious, they will also have a lovely texture. Just replace a portion of the fat (oil, butter, margarine) or sweetener with an equal amount of applesauce.
Storage tips
Keep apples in the fridge so that they stay crisp and don’t develop a mealy texture. When stored at room temperature, they become overripe 10 times faster!
Crunch away!
