5 Ways to Enjoy Apples This Fall

5 Ways to Enjoy Apples This Fall

There’s nothing like a crispy, sweet, juicy apple in the Fall…. or anytime for that matter. But there’s just something about apples and fall that kinda go together. With the harvesting of  apples happening in the Fall, heading to your local apple orchard is a yearly tradition for many.  Some prefer to find apples at a local stand or grocery produce department. Regardless of where you get your apples, I wanted to share 5 ways to enjoy apples this fall.

When I was a kid, our home was surrounded by an apple orchard and there was never a shortage of apples for us to pick or eat. Looking back I’m not really sure what type of apples they were, just remember how juicy they were. Little did I know as a kid how many different varieties of apples there were.  Gala, McIntosh, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp and red delicious are most common apple varieties. These apples can be picked and are also readily available at your local grocery store. Now that I have the peach growing thing under my belt, I plan on putting in a few apple trees this fall.

5 Ways to Enjoy Apples This Fall

 Apple pie

This is a favorite pie with my  kids and husband, particularly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I have been following this recipe for years and it continues to make the family very happy. Gala and honey crisp apples are my favorites to use in a pie. And of course Ice cream is optional…but not for my kiddos.

Apple Butter

I have a dear friend who can whip up the BEST apple butter. She will make a big batch and can several jars for me. I love to put it on biscuits, oatmeal and plain vanilla yogurt. Try using Gala, McInstosh and Honey crisp apples when whipping up your next batch of Apple Butter.

Apple Juice

My kids love apple juice and I really should learn to make it myself. When I do buy it, I always try to buy the unsweetened varieties that aren’t loaded up with sugar. I have a friend that let me in on one of her ‘apple juice making’ secrets. If you are going to make your apple juice, find the sweetest apples you can find. Mix up Red delicious, Fuji,Gala and Rome apples for the best juice. The goal is to not have to add sweeteners to your juice. Good equipment such as a juicer makes the process much easier when extracting the juices. She uses this one, although there are plenty of good one’s on the market to use depending on how serious you are about extracting juice from your fruits and veggies.

Apple Fritters

Our local bakery has the best apple fritters so I have never attempted to make any. I can’t explain it, but it’s like the crunchiest doughnut with a hint of apple taste. I say why spoil an amazing thing! Although I did find recipes here and here that make it look so easy with different variations to the apple fritter.

Eating an apple

With several varieties of apples and many different flavors and colors, apples just taste good. Some require refrigeration and some can be left in the fruit basket on the counter. You know the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” well it’s true. Eating an apple a day has so many healthy benefits. Here are just a few:

Apples are low in calories. And although an apple contains sugar, it only has 1/4 of the calories then other sweet treats would have.

Apples contain Vitamin C that helps with your overall health and immune system

Apples prevent tooth decay. Apple juice ( not processed) is made up of properties that can kill bacteria. Hence an apple a day can also keep your dentist away.

Apples help to control our bad and good cholesterol with phenols.

These are just 5 ways to enjoy apples this Fall. There are many other health benefits and ways to eat them in your favorite recipes. In addition to human consumption, Daisy Mae loves to crunch on apples.  We will also give the dogs apple slices. The vitamins as well as calcium and pectin are a good healthy alternative to dog treats.

I would love to hear your favorite apple recipe so that I can try it. Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email. I also included a few products used as well as the scarf/blanket/table runner that I am using this fall.

grateful

fresh fruit

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