According to the calendar, there’s still a little way to go until it’s officially fall, but it’s already apple season! Apples are packed with important vitamins, and they taste so good, so they make a delicious, convenient, and healthy snack all on their own. Which is great, but sometimes you want to try something a little different, and that’s where these great ideas come in:
- Apple pie. Of course you know about this; apple pie is a favorite fall dessert. Make sure you serve it warm with some good vanilla ice cream!
- Applesauce. I can’t think of an easier or healthier dessert to make than apple sauce. Peel, core, and slice as many apples as you want and put them in a pot. Add a drop of water, some maple syrup, a squirt of lemon juice, and cook until soft but not too mushy. Mash it right in the pot with a spoon for chunky applesauce, or use an immersion blender for a finer texture. I love this hot or cold.
- Sliced with nut butter. Spread apple slices with almond or peanut butter for a delicious, high protein snack.
- Apple crisp or cobbler. Another fall fave.
- Apple chips. Slice thinly and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you like, and bake at 225 degrees for one hour. Flip over and bake for another hour or until they are crisp.
- Ripen fruit. Place apples in a bag with unripe fruit. Apples release a gas that speeds up ripening, and your fruit should be ready to eat in a day or so.
- Fix salty soup. Don’t you hate it when you over-salt your soup? Fix it by adding some apple wedges and cooking for another 10 minutes. The apple will absorb the extra salt and the soup will be perfect.
- Moist roasted chicken. Place an apple in the cavity of the chicken for moist, delicious results.
- Soften brown sugar. When your brown sugar gets too hard, an apple can save it! Place it in a sealed bag with an apple wedge for a day.
- Apple stamps. Here’s a great craft idea for kids: Cut apples in half and cut out the core. Dip in paint to use as stamps with an interesting shape.
- Face mask. Grate apples and mix with some honey. Apply to face for a few minutes to reduce inflammation and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Who knew?!?
- A medium apple has about 80 calories, a satisfying crunch, and tons of good stuff. You can’t go wrong with an apple!