Eat That: An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Right after watermelon season, when it’s still too early for pumpkin pie, there is this little window of time I like to think of as the apple days. Apples are in season and it’s perfect timing. The days are still warm enough to appreciate their crisp, juicy freshness and the nights are cool enough to enjoy things like hot apple cider and apple pie.
When it started feeling like the apple days were here this year, I got the idea to make an apple pie from scratch. I went to the store to buy apples for it (which I though would have been the easiest part) and found that there were at least ten different kinds to choose from. I decided to ditch my apple pie idea and instead buy one of every single kind of apple I could find, try them all and then compare them. Here is what I came up with:
Golden Delicious: these yellow green apples are slightly tangy, which makes them a popular choice for caramel apples because they give a good contrast to the super sweetness of the caramel.
Fuji: these apples are simple and mildly sweet. They are crisp and juicy.
Gala: the size and sweetness of these make them great for packing in lunches and just eating on the go. They are also the most common apples used for making cider because they are so juicy.
Pink Lady: like the name suggests, these apples have a pinkish hue to them. They are crisp and sweet and go nicely in salads.
McIntosh: because these are one of the softer types of apples, they make the best applesauce, but they are not as popular for just eating raw because they can be a little mushy.
Granny Smith: these are the tartest of all the apples I tried. They are also the most commonly used in apple pie because they maintain their crispness when they are cooked and their tart taste balances the sugar in the pie.
Red Delicious: probably the most famous apple, and definitely the classic dark red color. These apples are mild but their peel is slightly bitter and they are drier than any of the others I tried.
Honeycrisp: I had never heard of these before I did this experiment. They are beautiful, big and red and are somehow both tart and sweet at the same time. These were my favorite out of all of the varieties.
With all these apples lying around I decided it’d be a good time to make caramel. This recipe was easy and turned out really delicious:
Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
– Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.
– Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil until it becomes a medium amber color.
– Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cream. Stir until smooth.
– Add the butter and stir until it is melted and completely incorporated.
– Allow the sauce to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the vanilla.
– The caramel will continue to thicken and set up as it cools.
– Serve with sliced apples* and chopped peanuts.
(*Note: you can add a couple drops of lemon juice to a tablespoon or two of water and sprinkle it over the apple slices to keep them from going brown when serving or storing them).
The pumpkin pie days are almost here, but before they come I am hoping to get in a few more apple days. Here are some ideas for using apples in everyday cooking and eating:
– Add bite size apple chunks and a couple dashes of cinnamon to your pancake or waffle batter.
– Add diced apples to your favorite salad. It goes well in most spinach salads and especially with sweet dressings such as raspberry vinaigrette or poppyseed.
– Dip apples slices in peanut butter or sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar for a healthy after-class snack.
– Stir some chopped apples and cinnamon into your oatmeal.
And remember … an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
How are you going to celebrate your apple days? Jennelle wants to hear about your apple recipes and ideas. Email her at jenn.nelle@gmail.com.