6 Apple Cooking Tips Worth Trying

The other day I was commenting to someone how busy life has gotten now that I have kids. The leisurely evenings I once enjoyed have been replaced by T-ball practice, swim lessons, and getting a healthy dinner on the table before tucking the kids into bed. Of course, I wouldn’t change a thing and truly do enjoy every moment with those tiny humans! The busyness of life has me committed to one thing – finding shortcuts or “hacks” to make everything in life – from packing lunches to household chores – easier.

Believe it or not, Stemilt apples can be “hacked” in a variety of ways to make snack time fun, ensure your kids will eat the apple you send them in their school lunch, and even to preserve your baked goods. Below are six different hacks to keep in mind for when you have extra apples on hand that you don’t want to go to waste.

Here at Stemilt, we take great pride in being your apple experts, so along with these hacks, we’ve created a 30-page FREE eBook called Cooking with Apples: The Definitive Guide. Just as its name implies, this guide is filled with all the information you’ve ever wanted or needed to know about apples. Learn how to prevent apples from browning, find out which apple is best for baking or making sauce, and get our favorite 15 apple recipes all in one place. You can download your copy here now.

Apple Hacks

1) Easy Apple Slices with a Whole Piece of Fruit: Have you heard of the apple rubber band trick? I love using this method in order to send pre-sliced apples to school in my youngest child’s lunch. He is smaller and needs his apples sliced to eat them, while my oldest likes and can eat the whole fruit. This trick lets me buy apples and use the fruit for both preferences. For this hack, cut apples in a tic tac toe pattern to easily remove the core, and retain the most fruit. Spritz the cut fruit with a little lemon juice, then return the core, and snap a rubber band around it to have pre-sliced apples for any lunch or snack.

2) Make an Apple Vessel: Love to dip your apples? Here’s a fun hack! Slice off the top of an apple and use a melon baller to scoop out the core and make a shallow bowl. Combine yogurt and peanut butter to make a dip to put in the apple bowl! You can also use the apple vessel as an edible arrangement of sorts by placing flowers inside and delivering it to a loved one.

3) Use Apples to Keep Baked Goods Moist: I love this hack! Drop a few apple wedges into a sealed container with extra cake, muffins, or cookies to keep desserts from going stale.

4) Make an Apple Tea Cup: Follow the apple vessel instructions in #2 above and instead of making a dip to put inside, use it for tea! Put a tea bag in the apple and fill with boiling water. Place the apple back on top to let the tea brew for a few minutes. The heat will release the apple’s juice to make for a naturally sweet tea.

5) Apple Ring Pancakes: Your kids will go crazy for these! Core an apple and slice horizontally into ¼ inch rings. Prepare pancake mix as directed and dip the apple ring into the batter to coat well. Cook apple rings on a pan per pancake instructions. Serve warm with maple syrup!

6) Save the Peels: There are so many things you can do with leftover apple peels. Add them to your compost or toss them into a smoothie for extra fiber. You can even use apple peels to clean aluminum cookware. The acid in the peel removes stains and discoloration from aluminum pots and pans. Fill the pan with water, add the peels, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Use a high-acid apple like Granny Smith or Pink Lady^® apples for best results!

Now it’s your turn to tell us, what are your favorite life hacks? Do you have any great apple hacks to share? Tell us in the comments below. And, Be sure to download your free copy of Cooking with Apples: The Definitive Guide to always have these apple hacks handy, as well as much more information and recipes on apples!