It’s one of the rare years here in Colorado where we have a HUGE bounty of apples!! Whether you’ve gone to Lakewood Cider Days or another fall festival, you’ll likely see bushels of apples this year.
When we get these big years many people who have an apple tree, or even a neighbor with one, will likely be looking up ways to harvest, eat, and keep these around for the coming year.
We’ve been pouring over recipes and ideas for the past week now that the colder weather is coming in, and I’m excited to share all of our discoveries with you!
Know that these ideas aren’t limited to apples!! If you have other fruits or veggies that you want to play with, a lot of these ideas can be adapted for other uses.
Share with me what you’re up to and how you’ve decided to use your apples and other harvested yummies this year! I love seeing your pictures and comments!!
Juicing Your Apples and Using the PULP!
Making apple juice is a pretty obvious choice for many people, and it’s wildly delicious when they’re freshly pressed. But what do you do with the pulp?
The pulp is full of fiber and the skins are part a vital of it. Many of the vitamins are held there, so it can be more nutritious than the juice. There are a lot of options I never knew about that you can use the pulp for.
5 Uses for Apple Pulp
Add to your favorite baked good. You can add it to muffins, cake, or sweetbreads. If it’s really dry, just add a tablespoon or so of juice or water to plump it back up a bit before you mix it in.
Add to smoothies. Spinach and apple smoothies are delicious. Adding the pulp gives you the much-needed fiber for your digestion and you still get the apple flavor.
Boost your dog’s food. Yup, this is an ok one for your pups and just like us, they need the fiber. It’s a great treat for them!!
Crackers!!! You might have to play with this one a little bit. What I found is that you can add the pulp to flax seeds (I’m thinking ground quick oats or oat flour), water, and seasoning (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc…) and make a slightly tacky dough. Then spread it onto a baking pan and cook. Turn it over halfway through to get all sides. When you pull them out, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut it into pieces while it’s hot, then let it cool. Voila!! Crackers!!
Compost! Not everyone is into composting, especially if you live in an area where composting is difficult. You can find a local CSA and ask if they’ll take your pulp if you don’t want to just put it into the trash and have made all of the crackers, breads, and smoothies you can handle!!
A bonus 6th idea that IS NOT TESTED!! So, what if you add a little bit of oil and seasoning (freshly chopped sage is a possibility) to the pulp and pack them into little balls, then freeze them. You could add them to the inside of your turkey or a chicken while you roast them, creating a savory flavor for the meat? Hmmm….. I wonder.
Apple Pie or Strudel
Pies have a special place in my heart because we use my grandmother’s pie dish, and my son loves apple pie. This is one more way food brings us closer as a family and why we enjoy the recipes and foods I share with you so much.
Pies and strudels are similar because there’s not much difference in the filling or the dough, and they both go great with ice cream.
Kidding.
No, I’m not.
Really, it’s about how you plan on eating your apples as a dessert. A strudel can be transported easily and has thin layers of buttered dough in every bite. Pie is mostly about the filling, with less of that buttery goodness.
You can make mini-strudels to wrap up and put in a bag for early morning football or soccer games, or even an apple hand-pie!! Oh, my. The possibilities are endless...
Make sure to check out my favorite apple pie recipe at the end of the blog!
Apple Chutney, Preserves, and Butter
Chutney isn’t something we’ve tried a lot of in my house, so I was excited to explore this option. I reached out to a friend whose mom makes different kinds of chutney for his expertise.
When I brought it up, a little smile tugged at the corners of his cheeks. Then it all came out. His treasured memories as a child being taken to the Drayton Manor Theme Park in England rose up and I swear his mouth started watering.
His whole family would be there including cousins, and his mom would lay out a full picnic for everyone to enjoy lunch. There was so much excitement for the rare adventure, the details are clear and vibrant.
He remembers the day he stood “bolt upright” so he could prove he was old enough to reach the line required to ride the rollercoaster for the first time. Running to get lunch and the cheese salad sandwiches his mum would make. The inquisitive flavor of those sandwiches stayed with him.
He later found out that it was coriander chutney that she put on those sandwiches. And 35 years later when they go to watch cricket, his Uncle will always bring cobb rolls with chutney.
The thrill and excitement of the entire day is wrapped up in those savory flavors. The little boy inside of him still shows up when his Dad, Uncle, and brothers venture to a cricket match to watch their heroes battle it out on the field, further anchoring in the memories of them playing their own childhood cricket games against a tree at that theme park after lunch.
Chutney has such a bold flavor to it, I couldn’t wait to explore what we could create in the kitchen and our own memories of enjoying the unique flavors. I knew this would be a great addition to our camping trips.
While looking up recipes, I learned that chutney is NOT like a preserve since you would use vinegar instead of pectin, and it can vary in texture based on what fruits or vegetables you put in it, or even yogurt.
The apple chutneys seem to all have onion, ginger, mustard, and pepper, as well as something to sweeten them up making it a truly savory condiment.
I’m curious how this may work with the apple pulp balls and the turkey…. It’s all coming together now!
Preserves and Butters
With chutney covered and at least one more bushel of apples waiting to be processed, I’m diving into the preserves and butter options.
Apple butter is a favorite for toast and sweetbreads, with a little extra cinnamon or some nutmeg for a different flavor. A warmed croissant for breakfast is also a wonderful treat with the apple butter melting into it.
Preserves are equally as wonderful, and I’m thinking of topping pancakes or waffles or layered inside a jellyroll.
What I love about these options is that they will last as long as they stay unopened. So, when we’re tired of pies, strudels, and chutney, we can open a jar of apple butter and get a whole new experience from the amazing apple tree in our yard.
Apple Chips
One last option has caught my eye. Dried fruit is a great snack to transport, put in lunches, or have in the car for road trips. With this many apples, I’m all about options!!
This is by far one of the easiest options outside of eating the apples in their original glory. Core them, thinly slice them, lay them out on a pan, put some cinnamon on them, and bake on a low temp for an hour. Turn them over, and bake another hour until they’re just crispy.
It takes time, and that’s about it. You can do it while you’re doing laundry, or making the chutney on the stove!
No matter how you slice it, there are some awesome ways to enjoy this season’s apples. I can’t wait to see how creative you get with this!! Remember to share your experience and let everyone know what you did.
Thanks again for joining me in exploring the power of food and family. I truly love being able to share this with you.
P.S. My favorite Apple Pie recipe is from Betty Crocker. I’ve been using this recipe for the last 17 years, since I married the love of my life and started baking apple pies for him!
Cheers!
~Kim
This peek into Kim’s world was brought to you by Emily Kamala. Emily is a freelance writer and life coach who loves to share stories, write blogs, and experience life so fully she has to bring it to life on the page. If you’re interested in reading more of her work, you can visit: www.EmilyKamala.com
Kim Morgan has brought her passion for connecting and telling stories through photography to life. Her ability to put you and your family at ease is so palpable you don’t even realize she’s behind the camera getting those precious moments for you to carry with you many years later. She lives in Colorado with her husband, son, and dog, where they enjoy exploring the mountains and laughing at every opportunity. Her website is KWDesignsPhotography.com to see her amazing work and set up your session!