Fall Apple Recipes

Fall Apple Recipes

People may rave about pumpkins and ooh over cranberries, but there is no doubt that fall’s best and most versatile crop has to be apples. Apples come in so many different varieties, each bringing its own combination of sweetness and sourness, of crunchiness and crispness. There is no better time to cook up some familiar classic apple recipes that might already be included in your fall rotation, and introduce some new ideas. From drinks and desserts to sides and mains, here are some of our favourite fall apple recipes:

Apple Cider

You’ll need a large amount (30-40) of apples, ideally picked fresh from an orchard. Your taste determines the variety of apples you should choose, but for the fullest flavour you’ll want a mix Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith. Wash, core, slice, and puree the apples to make apple pulp. Then, strain the pulp using cheesecloth over a container to separate the juice. Add cloves, lemon peel, nutmeg, ginger, and/or cinnamon to taste and depending on your preferences. To make hard cider, add rum and brown sugar. It’s that easy!

Caramel Apples

Clean and dry eight large Granny Smith apples for this treat. Insert a wooden craft stick into each, line a baking sheet with parchment, and fill a medium-sized bowl with halfway with ice and water. Set all of that aside. Combine 2 cups of packed brown sugar, 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream, 3/4 cup dark corn syrup, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1/4 stick) and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Use a candy thermometer to measure when the mixture reaches 250°F. When it does, dip the bottom of the saucepan into the ice-water bath and let chill for about 1 minute. Stir and remove from bath. Dip the apples individually and set on baking sheet. If the caramel sets too much, rewarm the saucepan over low heat. When the apples are all coated, refrigerate until set. To bring it to the next level, consider coating with crushed walnuts, pecans, or a topping of your choosing.

Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine 2 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter chopped into cubes. Rub the mixture with fingers until it comes together. Mix 4 pounds of large Granny Smith apples (washed, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced) with lemon juice and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a bowl then transfer to a greased baking dish and sprinkle topping on. Bake about 55 minutes, let cool slightly. Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.

Apple Grilled Cheese

This is quick and easy comfort food. Precook a couple slices of bacon. Heat a pan and place one slice of buttered bread down with thin slices of Granny Smith apple, aged cheddar, and the bacon, then add a top slice of buttered bread. Flip and cook until the sandwich is golden brown. For a more refined version, use herbed butter, brie cheese, and a thinly sliced Honeycrisp apple instead, and add baby arugula.

Apple Stuffed Porkchop

This is a time-tested variant on the classic porkchop and apple sauce. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a skillet saute 1 tablespoon of chopped onion in butter until tender. Remove from heat and add 3 cups fresh bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups chopped apples. Mix and spoon mixture into a large cut pocket on the side of each pork chop. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In skillet, heat oil to medium high and brown the porkchops. Place the chops in an ungreased baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Apple Chutney

This is a great condiment that is easy to prepare and so versatile and flavourful. Boil 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of sugar in a large saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (washed, peeled, cored, chopped) with 3 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. In a food processor, combine 10 large garlic cloves, 1 piece of fresh ginger (peeled, chopped), 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper. Blend. Add the apples and garlic mixture to vinegar, and add 1 1/2 cups raisins and 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds. Simmer until apples are tender and the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes. Place in bowl and let cool, the cover and chill.

Apple-Fennel Slaw

This is a very fresh and bright side dish. Whisk 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in a medium bowl. Add 3 thinly sliced celery stalks, 2 thinly sliced fennel bulbs, and 1 Gala apple thinly julienned. Toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.

And of course, there are old standbys like apple pie, apple sauce, candy apples…the possibilities for fall apple recipes are endless!


2 comments

  • That apple grilled cheese sounds amazing.

    Reply
  • I think I’ll try it with the slaw!

    Reply

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