Every fall we come home from the orchard with far more apples than we planned to buy – usually because we stuffed the bags to the brim. Some apples are perfect for eating fresh, but before long we’re looking for new ways to use the rest before they start getting soft.
Whether you’ve picked your own apples, harvested them from your backyard, or simply found a great deal at the market, there are so many things you can do with apples. From preserving them for later to baking cozy breakfasts and sweet treats, these are the homemade apple recipes we come back to every year.
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Why Apples Are Worth Preserving
Fresh apples do last a long time in the refrigerator. They could probably last a few weeks in there! But when you’re harvesting a large quantity from the orchard, you will not use up 2+ 10lbs bags of apples in that time. That’s where preserving comes in!
Whether you’re new to apple preserving or just looking for new ways to store your harvest, it’s an easy way to enjoy apples for months to come.
There are countless ways to use apples and even better – ways to reduce the apple scraps from peeling and coring them for recipes.
Our Favorite Ways to Use Fresh Apples
These are my main go-to ways on what to do with apples!
Homemade Apple Sauce
This is always a winner and probably the most basic way to store your apples long-term. I’m a simple woman, I like my recipes simple too. When I make my homemade applesauce, it’s just made with apples. No extra sugar or spices needed. Sometimes I’ll add a pinch of cinnamon but never to the whole batch.
Then, I always water-bath can my apple sauce to store in the pantry for a children’s snack/treat.
Read the full Homemade Applesauce recipe.
Dehydrator Apple Chips
These chips are a fun alternative to most traditional apple recipes. Dehydrated apple chips only take 6-12 hours in the dehydrator and are still full of fall flavour. My children devour these chips within the first few days, so they haven’t been stored much here, but it’s a different way to enjoy apples outside of a whole raw one!
Learn how to make Apple Chips in a Dehydrator
Apple Cider Vinegar
I love apple cider vinegar primarily because it’s the ultimate way to use apple scraps, cores, even bruised whole apples that you don’t want to include in your apple sauce or apple crisp. Simply adding water, sugar and the apples to a jar to ferment for 4-6 weeks will give you homemade apple cider vinegar. Which you can use in home herbal remedies like Fire Cider or to make Amish Advil, or to just take for your gut health.
Learn how to make Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Crisp with Homemade Granola Topping
I created this recipe as an apple version of my Breakfast Berry Crumble. I wanted to use up my apples one fresh autumn morning and instead of making this recipe with berries I thought to make it apple flavoured – and it was a hit! The recipe itself is super healthy, including chia seeds, oats, the antioxidants of apples, cinnamon, honey and peanut butter. It’s an easy make-ahead dish best served with vanilla yogurt for a healthy apple crisp breakfast.
Learn How to Make Apple Crisp with a Homemade Granola Topping
Apple Fritter Bread
The most deliciously moist, apple flavoured bread with a crispy crust covered in a warm sweet glaze served with a slice of butter… That’s all I need to say about this. You won’t need to learn how to store it because it won’t make it past dinner.
Learn how to make Apple Fritter Bread
Which Apple Recipe Should You Make?
| If you want to… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Preserve fresh apples | Homemade Applesauce |
| Use up apple scraps | Apple Cider Vinegar |
| Make a healthy snack | Apple Chips |
| Enjoy apples for breakfast | Apple Crisp with Homemade Granola Topping |
| Bake something sweet | Apple Fritter Bread |
Tips for Choosing Apples
Some people are very picky about they types of apples to use. As a human just trying to do their best, I like sweet apples, so I tend to buy and use only sweet varieties.
But for apple season, I also try apples from the trees that our orchard grows, if we like them, we fill our bags. Its about what you actually like to use and what tastes good. The variety most of the time is irrelevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make apple chips, apple crisp with homemade granola topping, make apple sauce and apple fritter bread. Don’t forget to make apple cider vinegar with all your apple scraps.
Homemade apple sauce freezes the best.
Apple cider vinegar because you are just adding peels and cores or whole apples to a jar, adding in a cup of water mixed with 1 tbsp of sugar and it just ferments.
Make a few loafs of apple fritter bread to freeze and take out to thaw as needed.
What To Do With Apples
I wanted to write this article not only as a resource for you, but for my younger self. Because 15 year-old Dina went apple picking for the first time on a date and brought a 10lbs bag of apples home and literally said, “what can I do with these apples?”. My Greek family didn’t know what to do with it.
Besides having to find recipes as someone who didn’t even know how to cook yet, I didn’t have anything that truly helped answer that for me. This article helps you find easy apple recipes and gives you a way to use your scraps. Using this whole apple – no waste, no compost.
If you’re on a gardening preserving journey at home, you can explore all of our hands-on advice in our Garden Based Preserving, based on what actually works here on our homestead.
We are growing our website with more articles all the time, and we invite you to grow with us. If you have any questions about what to do with apples or would like to share some of your knowledge with us please leave a comment below. Happy Gardening!
