How To Eat Apples
If you ask us, there’s no wrong way to eat an apple! Raw, peanut buttered, baked, candied, dried, sauced, fried or sandwiched, apples make for some of our most favorite fruit experiences!
Apples are among the most classic fruit flavors here in the United States. Texture of the fruit’s flesh varies slightly among varieties, but apples generally have a firm, crunchy yet juicy flesh that’s sweet with other dominant bitter, sour or tart flavors. The edible skin is usually thin and slightly waxy and can have a sweet or bitter flavor. In general, apple seeds are not edible and should be removed before eating.
With over 7,500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world, apples come in a variety of autumnal colors. On the outside, apples can have pale or bold hues of yellow, orange, red, green, brown, pink and purple. Their skin can be evenly colored, or have blushes and speckles of many colors. Inside, the crisp, firm flesh is typically white to off-white, and can have flushes or lines of darker colors like pink and red. Different kinds of apples vary widely in size, from about a walnut to as large as a softball!
Fresh apples can be eaten raw as a solo snack, tucked into cheese boards and paired with classic carrot and celery sticks. Just about any variety of apple can be enjoyed by the slice and dipped into a flavorful bowl of something delicious like cheese, hummus, almond butter, honey or cheese as a satisfying snack. Many types of apple bring sweet, crisp flavor to cooked dishes of all types.
Apple juice and apple cider might get a lot of the apple drinking glory, but there’s so much more sip! Apples find their way into drinks for people of all ages, in concoctions from fresh juices to teas, and cocktails to spirits. With such an array of flavors from bitter, sweet, sour, tart and tangy, apples bring a complex range of flavors to many delicious beverages.
How to prepare your apple will depend on the recipe you’re using. Here are the most common ways to prepare apple for just about any recipe.
Here are some of the easiest, most common ways of how to slice a apple:
- Core side up, slice the apple in half down the middle. Then, lay the apple sliced side down and cut in half again. With a paring knife, slice away the core, seeds and calyx by slicing town the pointed edge of the quartered fruit.
- Dice the apple into one-inch chunks as a snack or to add to your morning yogurt.
- Slice apple halves into ⅛ inch thin sections for cheese plates, sandwiches or dipping.
The beloved apple can be prepared in many ways. Enjoy raw apples with or without the skin, by taking a big ol’ bite of the fruit or slicing it up. Some apples need to be cooked, fermented or prepared otherwise before eating them because of their intense astringent taste when raw.
Always avoid or remove the seeds and core for the best apple eating experience! Apples can be cooked in countless ways to add their signature tart sweetness to savory dishes, desserts, snacks, spreads and dips.
Apple juice and apple cider might get a lot of the apple drinking glory, but there’s so much more sip! Apples find their way into drinks for people of all ages, in concoctions from fresh juices to teas, and cocktails to spirits. With such an array of flavors from bitter, sweet, sour, tart and tangy, apples bring a complex range of flavors to many delicious beverages. Apple juice is a perennial favorite of kids, and it sweetens up our favorite fresh pressed juices. They can be fermented into hard beverages like cocktails, spirits and ciders as well.
The apple’s versatility knows no bounds! Their relatively long shelf life allows them to be stored in many different ways. With such thin skin and high water content, apples can act like sponges for flavors and odors if not stored properly. Like their peak autumn season, apples enjoy a chilly storage place and not too much light.
Keep apples separate from other fruits and vegetables to avoid overripening and off flavors. Stored solo in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, apples will stay fresh for up to a month. Apples stored on the countertop can ripen almost ten times as fast as when they’re refrigerated. Keep apples on the counter for just under a week.
For best freezing results, first dice or slice apples into halves or wedges, removing the core, stem and calyx. Place them on a cookie sheet with space between each piece. Once frozen, store the fruit in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
Dried apples can stay fresh, when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, for over a year.
Do you feel like an apple eating expert now? Show us your favorite ways to prepare and eat apples by tagging us in your culinary masterpieces on Instagram @Fruitstandcom!