How To Use Up Your Leftover Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Red orbs of deliciousness, apples are loved for good reason. An apple slathered with peanut butter tops the list of all-time classic snacks. Though an apple raw is heavenly, an underrated quality in apples is their versatility in the kitchen. The humble apple can transformed via a myriad of methods that translate across many different meals. It is, as once, perfect as itself and as an ingredient. 

As autumn dawns, let us train our gaze beyond what we already know and into the potential of what this delicious fruit can be. Let us unlock maximum apple.  

Apples: How Do You Pick The Right One?

• When is apple season? Apples peak around late autumn and early winter, but luckily, they are delicious all year round! Peak apples, though, are more likely to be sweeter, firmer, and tastier than apples out of season. 
• What apples are peak in the fall? The apples that specifically peak in the autumn season are McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Ambrosia, Jonathan, Empire, Jonagold, Galas, and Red Delicious.  
• What does a ripe apple look like? The primary indicator for judging ripeness is by feel and color. A ripe apple is firm, not soft. Unless an apple is a green variety, like Granny Smith, Pippins, or Shizuka, it should not be green. Look for varied skin, splotches of red across a background of soft yellow. 
• What is the best way to store an apple? This non-fussy fruit can live on the counter, but the optimal way to keep apples fresh is by sticking them in the fridge (in particular, a produce drawer). Apples love cool, dark places. Stored in a temperature-controlled environment, they can last from three to six months — if you can wait that long. 
• What is the best way to store sliced and cut apples? Sliced apples quickly turn brown when cut and exposed to air.. There is no change in flavor or danger with a browned apple. It is all aesthetic! However, if you want to keep your apples beautiful and creamy, the best way to preserve their colors is in a saltwater bath until you’re ready for them. A squeeze of lemon juice also helps prevent the browning, but it alters the flavor of the apple. The saltwater bath keeps apples fresh while preserving flavor. Just make sure you wash the fruit off before eating! 
• What tastes delicious with apples? Apples are associated with fall for a reason. Warming spices pair incredibly well with apples. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Dairy and cream also complement apples very well, like whipped cream, ice cream, and creme fraiche. The brightness and acidity of sharper cheeses and mustard play well with the sweetness of apples. 

Miso Apple Compote

This compote is an easy and delicious way to use any leftover apples you have. All the work is done inside the oven—the miso caramelizes, balancing the sweet, warm flavors of the maple syrup and cinnamon with subtle umami notes. This recipe brings a level of nuance and balance to a familiar flavor profile.  Spread it on toast, add a dollop to yogurt, zhuzh it up with toasted pecans or lemon zest or even mint. To indulge fully (and we support this), top over vanilla ice cream, full-stop a la mode.  

Yield: 3 servings (Note: This recipe can be scaled up or down, depending on how many leftover apples you have.) 
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
3 small-medium apples, chopped in 1-inch chunks 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Whisk all ingredients, except the apples, in a bowl until well combined. Add the apples then stir to coat evenly. 

Add this mixture to an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or a baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the apples are soft. 

Let mixture cool before serving.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or freezer for 1-2 months. 

Bonus Apple Crumble!

The Miso Apple Compote makes a wonderful base for a crumble. We love the crumble format because it takes the best parts of a pie (browned, buttery, toasty, crunchy) and achieves them with less time and effort. 

Yield: 5 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup pecans, chopped finely
½ cup old-fashioned oats
3 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoon butter or vegan butter, cold and cut into ¼-inch cubes
3 servings of raw apple compote, from above

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. 

Prepare the compote, as above: whisk all dry ingredients, now including the gluten-free flour mix,  in a bowl until well combined. Add the apples then stir to coat evenly. Scoop this mixture into a 9”x13” baking dish. 

Make the crumble dry mix: add brown sugar, pecans, oats, flour, and salt to a bowl and stir well to combine. 

Smash the cubes of butter, straight from the fridge, with a fork or your fingers and incorporate into the dry ingredients. This should make a mixture of clumps of various sizes. Sprinkle over the apple compote in the baking dish. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crumble topping turns a deep, golden brown. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad With Apple & Dijon Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette opens up the savory potential of the humble apple. Bright, tangy notes are balanced by the apple’s natural sweetness, perfect for cutting through the char of a roasted vegetable salad. 

Yield: 7-8 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

2 apples, cored 
½ shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil 

For the salad:

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ tablespoon soy sauce
A clamshell of arugula (approximately 5 oz)
1 apple, sliced
¼ cup walnuts, toasted
1 avocado, cut in chunks

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400° F. 

Add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside for serving. 

Toss broccoli with olive oil, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce, and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly charred.
To assemble the salad, add all ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine with the vinaigrette. 

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

No apple shall be wasted! Instead of throwing away any excess peels and cores, repurpose them. This is a basic recipe for a homemade apple cider vinegar. If this is your first time fermenting, we kept it as easy as possible. 

Yield: 1 jar
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 month

Ingredients:

6-8 apple cores, peels, and seeds
1 quart water
3 tablespoons honey or 4 tablespoons white sugar

Materials:

Cheesecloth, coffee filter, cloth napkin, or fabric scrap
Rubber bands
½ gallon mason jar

Instructions:

Add ingredients to the mason jar and stir until the honey dissolves. 

Store in a warm, dark place. Light and fluctuations of temperature can cause the fermentation to stall, so we recommend placing the mason jar in an oven with the light on. 

Two weeks out: Look for the first signs of fermentation. The natural yeast on the surface of the apples interacts with the sugar, producing carbon dioxide bubbles near the surface of the jar and faint traces of alcohol. 

One month out: Once the solids have sunk to the bottom of the vessel and the bubbles have disappeared, the vinegar is ready. You should be able to smell it at this stage. 

Strain out the liquid into a separate vessel and discard the solids. Store in a cool, dark place. 

Tips:

If your apples are not organic, soak them in a baking soda bath for ten minutes to clean off any debris and pesticides. 

To prevent mold from forming at the top of the vinegar, weigh down the apple solids with a ferment weight or a silicone bag filled with water. 

Be sure to leave plenty of room at the top of the jar. When the vinegar is at peak fermentation, the bubbles can cause the liquid to rise.

Recipes and additional research by Lina Kamb.