I like to buy apples. They are usually one of the cheapest fruits out there, are tasty raw or cooked in deserts, and are extremely portable (have you ever tried to eat a kiwi while driving the car? Not recommended).
The kids also like apples. For a while Princess love to have apple slices with a bit of peanut butter smeared on (actually it is a little tough to get wet PB to stick to the wet apple, but we mananged). Now both Princess and Buddy prefer to eat bites from a whole apple.
The problem is, they never finish an apple.
I wind up with a bunch of apples with 3 little Buddy sized bites out of them. Sometimes if Princess is very hungry she’ll eat most of a half of one. But heaven forbid I should cut it into slices-no, we want the entire thing.
So I came up with a plan. Every time I end up with a half eaten apple, I throw it in the freezer. If I’m feeling up to it, I actually core it and cut it into pieces first, then throw it in a designated 1 Gallon zipper baggie. Otherwise I just toss the apple into the freezer whole. An unsuspecting person looking into my freezer would think I was insane. “What is this woman doing with 8 half eaten apples strewn about her freezer?”
When I’ve got enough, or the mood strikes me, I take them out, throw them in a bowl on the counter to defrost, then chop them up and use them in any recipe calling for apple. I’ve made my favorite apple bread this way, and my current favorite-Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars. Yum! You can also make a quick homemade applesauce with them to either eat by itself, or to have alongside pork dishes.
I do the same thing with half eaten bananas, and make a mean bananna bread about every three weeks.
This is a great idea! Another one is to chop up the apple and top it with brown sugar, oatmeal and butter. Nuke it in the microwave for a little while. Yum!
Here’s a peanut butter and apple tip for you: cut the apple in half. Scoop out the core with a melon baller, then put the peanut butter where the core used to be!
PB Apples are one of my favorite snacks.
Mom2fur
Yum, homemade applesause? That sounds really great. I have a hard time finding applesause without added sugar. I’d love to see your recipe.
My friend 2 kids loved it when I would sprinkle cinnamon on top of their sliced apples. I would make a plate and they would be gone in minutes!
I too love apples, but I find I go through phases. My favorite is Fuji apples and Costco/Sams Club seemed to always have the best deals on bagged apples. Their apples were always LARGE and fresh.
I miss that king of fresh fruit and veggies, but I am loving the fresh fish we get for free.
After surfing on friday we hung around the marina and scored some Ono [aka Wahoo] and Mahi Mahi probably 40# in all. I don’t even think we paid for any of it. The guys had caught more than then needed. I think we tried to pay, but since they were friends with one of the surfers they just gave us some.
OK, so you have your fresh frut and vegetables, we have our the freshest of fresest seafood. Less then 6 hours from swimming in the ocean to our plates (and that is after cleaning the fish and everyong going home to take showers….”
Plus, I obviously can’t spell applesauce.
When I have apples beginning to lose their freshness, I simply put them in a pan with a snug lid and maybe 1/2 cup of water and let them simmerfor 1-12 minutes. I do core them and cut out any bad spots, but it’s not necessary to peel them if you have a ricer or one of those thingamablobs that push the pulp through (forgot what they’re called).
Sometimes, if I do peel them, I don’t puree them, but leave them a little chunky. I ALWAYS use cinnamon, but no sugar unless they’re very tart.
That was supposed to be 10 – 12 minutes!
My most favorite apple is the macoun from a local apple grower. I rarely see them in the grocery and when I do, they don’t compare.
Does anyone else have a favorite?
Does anyone else have a favorite?
Empires! Empires! Empires!
Which leads to my favorite (relatively cheap) vacation: fall weekends in the Finger Lakes. Apples. Wine. Foliage. Mmmmm.
This is a much better idea than what I do, compost. You get to use the whole thing. Thanks FUFL.
Pink Lady! Those are my favorite. When I’m feeling pretty wild, I’ll get those horribly expensive [but insanely tasty] crazy Grapple hybridy thingies.