Fall is one of my favorite times of year. My family lives
in a rural area that is full of orchards.
In the summer, the peaches are plentiful, and Labor Day weekend is our annual
Peach Festival.
But in the fall, our family loves to go to one of the many orchards, pick
our own apples,
enjoy a glass of cider and a sack of still-warm cinnamon donuts.
A few of the orchards have their own cider mill,
and it is fun for the kids to watch the cider being made.
Here is a list of many popular apples,
and what kinds of things they are good for.
Key for Uses:
AP=All-Purpose, AS=Apple Sauce, B=Baking,
E=Eating
F=Freezing, P=Pies, S=Salad
Variety |
Color |
Flavor |
Texture |
Peak Season | Uses |
| Golden Delicious | Greenish Gold | Sweet | Semifirm | Sept.-Oct. |
F,S, |
| Granny Smith | Bright Green | Tart | Firm,Crisp | Oct.-Nov. | E |
| Jonathan | Brilliant Red | Tart | Tender | Sept.-Oct. | AP,E |
| McIntosh | Red, w/green background | Tart | Soft | Sept. | AS,E,P |
| Pippin | Greenish Yellow | Tart | Semifirm | Oct. | B,E,P |
| Red Delicious | Deep Red | Sweet,bland | Firm | Sept. | E,S |
| Rome | Red | Sweet-tart | Firm | Oct. | B,P,AS |
| Winesap | Dark Red, Yellow streaks | Tangy | Crisp | Oct.-Nov. | AP,P |
| Paula Red | Lg. Red, w/green showing | Mildly Tart | Firm | Sept.-Oct. | AP,AS,E,F,P |
| Cortland | Solid Red | Sweet-tart | Firm | Sept.-Nov. | AS,E,P,S |
| Empire | Smaller, Dark Red | Sweet | Semifirm | Sept.-Nov. | AP,AS,E,F |
| Ida Red | Pink, light Red, not glossy | Mildly Tart | Firm | Oct.-Nov. | AS, E, P |
| Mutsu (Crispin) | Lg. Light Green to Yellow | Sweet | Crisp | Oct.-Nov. | AP,AS,E,F,P |
| Fuji | Yellow/green w/red highlights | Juicy,Sweet | Crisp | Sept.-Oct. | AS,E |
| Spartan | Dk. Red, almost purple | Sweet | Firm | E,P | |
| Macoun | Sweet | Extra Crisp | AP,E | ||
| Northern Spy | Red | Tart | Crisp | E,P | |
| Gala | Red | Juicy Sweet | Firm, Crisp | AS,B,E,P,S | |
| Braeburn | Red on green background | Sweet-tart | Firm, Crisp | Oct.-Nov. | E |
Here is a list of many links having to do with
apples
Lots
of information and recipes.
If you love apples, you'll have fun browsing!
Apple Recipes From Apples N Garlic.com
The Golden Apple Recipe Booklet
I Love Apples~Free Apple Recipes
Wisconsin Apple Growers Association
Apple Hints
from a recipe loop
A cake will stay fresh several days longer is an apple, cut in half, is stored with the cake.
One pound of apples (3 medium) yields 3 cups pared and sliced or diced.
1 medium apple=80 calories
Apples will not crack while they are baking if you peel a 1 inch band around the middle or top.
Glaze cooked fruits with contrasting fruit jellies, especially apple or quince.
Lemon juice is good to prevent discoloration of apples, pears, avocado, bananas,
and mushrooms.
7-up, Sprite, or other lemon-lime sodas will do the same.
To ripen fruit, put it in a paper bag in a dark place for a few days.
For a different type of frozen treat, make a "cider cicle." Simply put a wooden stick in a small paper cup filled with cider, and freeze!
Add apple juice to your favorite stuffing, instead of the usual broth, for a delicious change - great for stuffing pork, turkey, or chicken.
Apple juice added to a ham or meat loaf will make a delicious difference and makes it more juicy.
Stir apple juice into a spicy red dip for shrimp - it will mellow its taste and make it richer.
Sprinkle crumbled English toffee or maple sugar over canned applesauce and garnish with a rosette of whipped cream.
Old-fashioned bread pudding can be spruced up by adding apple slices and raisins, and topped with a brown sugar. After baking, serve with lemon sauce or whipped cream to which crushed peanut brittle has been added. Delicious!
Try apple pancakes for a change. Simply mix apple slices into the batter, or top the stack of pancakes with a generous serving of warmed, drained apple slices with a little brown sugar and butter.
Melt apple jelly in a double boiler over hot water; mix butter or margarine with it; keep mixture slightly warm. Spoon over pancakes. Or mix hand honey and half melted apple jelly with butter or margarine.
Mix apple juice half and half with orange juice, tomato juice or beef broth for new exciting flavor combinations.
Taste your apples before cooking with them...add a little less sugar
for very sweet apples
and a little more sugar if they are very tart.
Apple Cider Donuts with Maple Glaze
2 quarts apple cider
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 2 lemons
15 whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
1 T. honey
1 T. ground allspice
1 t. ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups rum (optional)
3 T. butter
Simmer all ingredients (except butter) in a pot for about 30 minutes. Strain,
if desired.
Stir in butter. Serve hot.
2 quarts sweet cider or apple juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2-inch cinnamon stick
1 t. whole allspice
1 t. whole cloves
long cinnamon sticks
Mix cider and sugar in large saucepan. Add spices. Heat slowly to
simmering.
Cover pan, simmer 20 minutes, and strain. Serve hot, with a cinnamon
stick in each mug.
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
juice and grated rind of one lemon
1/2 t. nutmeg or cinnamon
pinch of ginger
Heat all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Serve warm on top of
apple cake,
vanilla ice cream, pumpkin pie, or apple dumplings.
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg or cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup finely chopped apple
Combine egg, milk and apple. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in melted butter.
Bake on
a hot griddle. Makes 12 pancakes.
1-1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
TOPPING:
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 t. cinnamon
Mix together to make topping.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder salt and cinnamon in mixing bowl. Cut in
shortening until
fine crumbs form. Combine milk and egg. Add to dry ingredients
along with apples.
Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.
Sprinkle with
topping mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 12 muffins.
1 small package red gelatin
2 T. red cinnamon candies
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups applesauce
Dissolve candies in boiling water, add gelatin and stir to dissolve.
Add cold water and applesauce. Chill in a ring mold.
Unmold and fill center with cottage cheese to serve.
4 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
1 cup diced, unpeeled red apple
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup halved green grapes
Mayonnaise
Lettuce Leaves
Combine apple and pineapple. Add chicken, celery and grapes. Add just enough mayonnaise to hold ingredients together. Chill. Serve on lettuce leaves. Serves 10-12
2 cups cubed peeled apple
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 T. butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 t. nutmeg
pastry for a one crust pie
Saute onion in butter until golden. Mix with remaining ingredients and put
into
a greased casserole dish or loaf pan. Top with crust. Cut vent holes in crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
2 T. chopped onion
1 t. salt
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
1/2 cup applesauce
2 T. catsup
Combine ingredients and mix well with hands. Put in a greased loaf pan.
Spread catsup
on top of loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve
with additional applesauce.
3 medium acorn squash
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided
salt
ground cinnamon
3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 T. grated lemon rind
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
Wash squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place squash,
cut side down, in a
9" x 13" baking dish. Add 1/2 water and bake at 375 degrees for
35 minutes. Turn cut side up and brush cut surfaces and cavities with
2 T. butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cinnamon
Combine apples, lemon rind, lemon juice, remaining butter and honey. Mix
well and spoon into
squash cavities. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Fried Apples and Carrots
lovely surrounding a pork roast!
6 tart apples, unpeeled, cored, and sliced crosswise
6 medium carrots, scraped
2 T. margarine
1 t. salt
1 T. sugar
Cut carrots into lengthwise slices. Melt margarine in large frying pan.
Place carrots and apples in
pan in a single layer. Cover and cook until browned. Turn and brown other
side. Just before they are done, sprinkle with sugar and salt.
Chunky
Applesauce
6 cooking apples
1/2 cup sugar (optional)
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
Peel and core apples. Cut into chunks. Place in microwave-safe covered dish.
Cook on high for 8 minutes, stirring several times. Add sugar and cook 2
more minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with nutmeg
and cinnamon.
(Makes a great ice cream topping---
tastes like apple pie a la mode!)
Spicy Apples and Rice
serve with pork chops
1 large tart apple, unpeeled, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 T. butter
3 cups cooked rice
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Pour boiling water over raisins and let stand to plump them, then drain well.
Cook celery
and onion in butter until tender crisp. Stir in spices, rice and raisins.
Heat thoroughly.
Add apple, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.
Serves 6
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. nutmeg or cinnamon
2 cups unpeeled apple, finely chopped
1 cup chopped nuts
Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add apple with dry
ingredients and mix well. Spray a 2-pound coffee can with cooking
spray, or grease and flour it well. Pour batter into can,
filling no more than 2/3 full. Place can in crock pot. Do not add water.
Cover, but leave cover ajar so steam can escape. Cook on hight 3-1/2 to 4
hours. Don't peek before last hour of baking. When top is set, turn
off crock pot. LEt stand in can for a few minutes before
tipping out onto a plate. Serve half-rounds plain, with whipped cream
or a pudding sauce.
6 cups tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. lemon juice
Toss together in a large bowl to coat apples. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and pat down.
Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
With pastry blender, cut butter into sugar and flour until crumbs
are pea-sized. Sprinkle topping
evenly over apples and pat down over.
Slide pie into a brown paper bag and onto a cookie sheet. Fold the long
end of the bag
under the pie, making sure no part of the paper will touch the
heating element of your oven.
Bake at 425 for 50 minutes for a perfectly baked pie with no drips in
the oven!
1 9" unbaked pie shell
6 tart apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sour cream
Place sliced apples into pie shell. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon;
cut in butter.
Sprinkle this mixture over apples. Spoon sour cream on top and bake at 400
degrees
for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees for about 20 minutes or until
apples are done.
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1 cup peeled diced apple
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup apple butter
4 eggs
Filling:
1 cup chopped nuts
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 T. apple butter
Blend all cake ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Pour 1/3 batter
in prepared bundt pan.
Sprinkle with 1/2 the filling, repeat these 2 layers. Cover with remaining
batter. Bake at 325 degrees 50-55 minutes. Cool in pan, and invert on serving
plate. Spoon glaze over cake before serving.
4 large apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup cider or apple juice
1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 package spice cake mix
Maraschino cherries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Cook apples in cider for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and
reserve juice.
Melt butter in 9" x 13" pan. Add 1/4 reserved juice, brown sugar
and apples.
Decorate with cherries and nuts. Prepare cake according to package
directions, using
remaining apple juice for part of the liquid. Pour batter over apples. Bake
at 350 degrees
for 30-40 minutes or until cake tests done. Invert hot cake on platter.
1 stick butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 t. vanilla, divided
1 cup flour
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
4 cups thinly sliced apples
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. milk
2 T. toasted, slivered almonds
Cream together butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 t. vanilla. Add flour. Blend
well, and press mixture
into the bottom and 1-1/2" up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Beat cram
cheese, 1/4 cup
sugar, egg, 1/2 t. vanilla until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared
crust. Toss apple slices
lightly with 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Layer evenly over cream
cheese. Bake at
450 degrees, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 and continue baking 30-45
minutes or until
apples test done. Cool in pan, then remove sides of pan and place on serving
plate. Combine powdered sugar and milk, drizzle over torte. Garnish with
almonds. Serves 10-12
5 medium apples
1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
Combine peeled, sliced apples with raisins, sugar, cinnamon and water; cook
just until
apples are tender. Remove from heat. Mix milk with oil; stir into dry shortcake
ingredients just until flour is dampened. Pat dough 3/4" thick and cut
biscuits with a floured glass. Bake shortcake at 450 degrees, 10-12
minutes or until golden. Spoon warm apples over buttered hot shortcakes.
Serves 6
2-1/4 cup flour, divided
1-1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 egg yolks
4 cups sliced apple
1 t. cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 T. milk
Combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder and
salt. Cut in butter until
crumbs are the size of peas. Stir in egg yolks. Press half of the mixture
into the bottom of
a 9" x 13" pan. Combine apples, remaining flour, sugar and cinnamon. Place
apple mixture
over crust in pan. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350
degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Cool and drizzle with thin icing of powdered sugar and milk. Makes 36 3-inch
bars.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1-3/4 cup finely chopped apples
Cream butter with sugar; add eggs, beat until light. Combine all remaining
ingredients and
stir into the creamed mixture. Drop onto greased baking sheet
and bake 12-15 minutes a 350 degrees.
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cider
Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Cook sugar and cider over medium
heat to
soft ball stage (240 degrees). Remove from heat and quickly add chocolate
mixture. Stir until
blended. Pour into a 9" butter pan. Cool and cut into squares.
1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3 eggs
3-1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 cup shopped peanuts
1 cup chopped apple
6 oz. chocolate chips
Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Stir
in peanuts,
apples and chocolate chips. Mix well. Drop on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350
degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.
Candied Apple Rings
pretty garnish for a holiday meat platter!
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup red cinnamon candies
whole cloves
firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2" rings
Make syrup in a fry pan. Cook the apple slices in syrup, turning
often until tender and
transparent. (Watch carefully!) Remove to a deep platter with
a slotted spoon. Pour remaining
syrup over apples. Chill.
Apple Cider DonutsWith Maple Glaze
Donuts
Approx. 3 T. sugar for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3 T. vegetable oil, preferably Canola oil
Maple Glaze
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4-1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Use a mini-Bundt pan to make donut-shaped cakes, but if you do not have one, you can use a regular Bundt pan and make a coffee cake; bake it in a 375-degree F oven 25 to 30 minutes.
To make Donuts:
Preheat oven to 400F. Coat molds of a mini-Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or oil. Sprinkle with sugar, shaking out excess.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, mix egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, yogurt and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide half the batter among the prepared molds, spooning about 2 generous tablespoonfuls of batter into each mold. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly. Loosen edges and turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool. Clean the mini-Bundt pan, then re-coat it with oil and sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter.
To make maple glaze:
In a bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Gradually whisk in enough maple syrup to make a coating consistency. Dip the shaped side (underside) of the "donuts" in the glaze to coat. Then set them, glazed-side up on a rack over wax paper for a few minutes until the glaze has set.
Many thanks to my friends, Ann and Stephanie, who helped me find
some of the links and information
for this page! =)