
Fall is in the air and what better way to welcome the new season than to feature one of it’s great bounties – apples!
We figure featuring apples will give you an excuse to go down to your favorite orchard and pick some to put to good use as the weather gets cooler.
Applesauce
“Homemade apple sauce is one of the easiest things to make and there’s nothing better. All you need to do it peel, core, and cut about 8 apples (try to get a variety that is more towards the tart side) and simmer them in a cup of water until they’re tender. Once tender, add in some of your favorite fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. and about 1/2 cup of sugar. I would also suggest adding a pinch of salt or some lemon juice to cut the sweetness a bit. Taste it to make sure your seasonings are right and if you like it cook it for just a minute longer, mash up the apples that haven’t cooked down, and enjoy cold.”
Fall Mash
“Fall tends to bring a lot more root vegetables to the table, like parsnips. Break up your traditional mashed potatoes for mashed parsnips with apples incorporated. Parsnips are like a carrot, but a little more spicy in flavor, so the sweetness from the apples would go well with that. All you’d have to do is cook the apples down like you would for the applesauce, boil the parsnips until tender like you would potatoes, mash them both together, and season appropriately.”
Prevent Browning
“We all try to wait until the last possible second to cut an apple because nobody likes a brown apple. You can defer this oxidation process by dunking your pre sliced apples in a solution of 3 parts water and 1 part lemon juice.”
Now that Chef Ashley has added to your tool kit, go grab some fresh apples and get to it!