When my family and I moved into the house we are in now, we inherited the big apple tree in the backyard (among other fruits!). The first year of apples was more than we expected and unfortunately, a lot of them went to waste. This year we’re taking hold of every apple we can and creating incredible apple recipes! I’m excited to share them with you 🙂
Harvesting Apples
Here’s the thing. If you want an apple tree, I recommend keeping the tree short. This is almost as tall as our house which makes harvesting a little difficult. If you have a tall tree like we do, I recommend this Apple Picker. It extends for the tops of the tree and doesn’t harm the fruit. They all land happily in the cloth basket.
Try to avoid dropping apples. You don’t want to end up with bruised apples nor do you want to risk anything falling on your head! Also, if you ever do decide to climb the tree or use a ladder, please ensure you have someone there to supervise. Be careful!
Once harvested, bring those apples inside and give them a good clean. Ours are organic, so a nice rinse in water is great. If your apples aren’t organic, I encourage you create a baking soda bath and let them soak for 10 minutes before using!
Here are my three favourite apple recipes to use after a big harvest like this!
Apple Recipes #1: Applesauce (No Sugar Added)
Applesauce is an easy one and absolutely delicious! You will need:
- 7-9 Medium Apples
- Dash of Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp of Lemon Juice
- A Masher
- A Pot
Applesauce is great to have stored away. It can be used as a natural sweetener in place of sugar. It can be used as a substitute for oil in baking. You can even add it as an ingredient for dressing! And for the new mama’s, you can feed it to your baby! Here’s how you make it:
- Peel your apples (keep the peels for later!).
- Core the apples (keep the core for later!).
- Chop up the apples into small squares
- Pour apples in your pot (no water), and cook on medium heat
- Cover with a little bit of cinnamon and a spoonful of lemon juice. Stir.
- Cook until the apples are soft, then mash them up with a masher.
- Let cool then place in a jar.
Easy, peasy! This lasts in the fridge for 4-5 days and 1 month in the freezer! Who knew apple recipes could be so easy?
Apple Recipes #2: Apple Butter
This recipe takes a little longer, but for an incredible result! Here’s what you need:
- A Pot
- 8-10 Medium Apples
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Dash of Cinnamon
- Dash of Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp of Salt
- 1 Cup of Water
Apple butter is great in all sorts of recipes. Notably, it’s a great spread over your toast! Unlike the applesauce, the apple butter has a very different texture. Just like how butter is smooth and thick, so is apple butter! Here’s how to make it:
- Chop & peel the apples and add all the ingredients into the pot
- Cover and simmer on low for about 1-2 hours
- Stir occasionally
- Once soft, remove the sauce and puree in a blender
- Put on the stove in a pot for an additional 30-60 minutes until it is nice and thick and dark brown
- Place a bit of the apple butter on a plate and let cool. If there is water separation, it’s not ready! Heat it up a little longer.
- Put in jars once ready
Enjoy this delicious recipe! Place your apple butter in small jars and enjoy for up to a month!
Apple Recipes #3: Apple Cider Vinegar
This one is probably my favourite apple recipes! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Apples & Leftover Apple Skin & Cores (To fill about 2L worth of apples)
- Water (To just cover your apples)
- 1/4 cup of Sugar
- A 2L Glass Container
- Small Cloth OR Coffee Filter
- Elastic Band
Apple Cider Vinegar has a ton of awesome uses and benefits. It can be used as an ingredient in a recipe (it can replace white vinegar!), and it has incredible health benefits. It’s been known to help with sugar and cholesterol levels, and even to help kill bad bacteria! Basically, it’s a health potion. Here’s how to make it:
Creating (Day 1)
- Take any leftover apple skins and cores and about 5-8 chopped apples and stuff them in your glass jar.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of sugar overtop and mix in with a spoon.
- Pour some water over the apples, however, don’t fill the jar!
- Stir a bit more.
- Cover with either a cloth or coffee filter. Then, use an elastic band to secure over the opening.
Fermenting (Day 2-29)
- Stir the apples around EVERY day. (Otherwise, you might start to see mold forming).
- Re-cover with your cloth or coffee filter.
Finalizing: (Day 30)
- Strain the apples into a bowl (squish them to get more liquid out).
- Take the liquid and pour into a bottle that can be airtight sealed.
- Keep in a room temperature place and use for up to 2 years!
Recipe Video
Enjoy this visual of the above recipes!
