Most of us don’t think twice before we grab a juicy apple but not many of us would know all the other different ways to use apples and how versatile this fruit can be.
Be it for salads, sweet desserts, savory dishes or even a non-food use such as adding some ambiance to your home this multi-purpose and widely available fruit can do wonders which you may have never thought of.
Other than eating apples raw let’s see 15 fantastic food & non-food options you have with apples this fall!
Note that we have given vegan recipe links to all the recipe ideas below to veganize them all as there’s no apple recipe that should deprive a vegan.
Apple Fruit–Uses as Food
1) Make Apple Juice
If you have a lot of apples falling this autumn and looking for the best ways to use them up, a great option would be to make apple juice.
Apple juice is 88% water making it an ideal option to hydrate yourself and comes with a fair amount of nutritional value as well.
Being one of the tastiest drinks and a favorite among kids, it is a drink the whole family can enjoy together!
Apple juice recipe here
2) Apple Tea
Apart from the famous apple juice did you know there is another great beverage apples can produce? That’s apple tea which many may not be aware of that would also help you in losing weight besides its other health benefits.
It’s a tea slightly sweet and flavourful that can be easily brewed from apples where you have the option of consuming it warm especially when it’s winter or you can have it iced.
As soon as you make it have it straight away to encourage fat burn and affect weight loss.
Apple tea recipe here
3) Raw In Salads
We always have the liberty of using our creative license with salads since they can consist of just about anything which includes apples.
While we can’t mention a specific apple to dice and add to salads, there are few varieties worth mentioning.
For salads, you would want to consider a lovely crisp apple that doesn’t turn quickly into highly unappetizing browning when sliced or chopped.
Each apple has its own distinctive flavor that will blend differently when combined with dressings and vegan cheese.
The best ones we recommend are Honeycrisp, Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith.
4) Vegan Apple Pie
Apple pies have been a huge part of family traditions especially during Thanksgiving time (we’re talking about a Thanksgiving without turkey) and a vegan apple pie will be more than enough to keep the traditions alive.
A warm, golden-brown pie can tantalize everyone during the holiday time, and granny smith apples are the best we can think of as they won’t turn to a pulp after baking, which you may experience with other types of apples
Vegan apple pie recipe here
5) Applesauce / Purees
Easy, delicious and loved by all ages applesauce is a sauce made by cooking apples until they form into a purée (another way to use your old apples as well).
We recommend applesauce as a substitute for butter or oil, with cakes, breads, muffins, as a simple snack or healthy dessert, with vegan vanilla ice cream, waffles, toast, pancakes, or swirl it into your oatmeal.
Applesauce recipe here
6) Apple Fritter Bread
If you love a combo of donuts and homemade bread together, then we can’t think of anything better than ‘apple fritter bread’
It’s a rich & easy homemade bread that’s stuffed with a blend of apples, cinnamon, and sugar then drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze.
Therefore this sweet recipe is ideal to make as a snack, a quick breakfast, or to serve as an old-fashioned dessert.
Vegan apple fritter bread recipe here
7) Apple Butter Spread
Apple butter wouldn’t have been in this list if it was made with apples and butter (being dairy) but that’s not what it’s made of.
Apple butter is essentially a vegan spread which has a concentrated apple flavor made with a few simple ingredients.
It’s not really jam or jelly and it’s not exactly the same thing as applesauce either though more comparable to preserves or jam, but it is actually a spread of its own flavor. This is also an option when you’re looking to get rid of old apples!
Apple butter spread recipe here
8) Apple Chips / Crisps
Here’s another way to enjoy apples, especially a great way to use old apples! It’s wonderful to see how different apples taste when you remove its moisture.
They can be made by frying, deep frying, dehydrating or baking. You can consume them as a snack with various dips or use them with other foods.
You can find commercial vegan apple chips/crisps with companies such as Bare Fruit, and Buddy Fruits which prepare them only with apples as their sole ingredient.
Apple chips recipe here
9) Make Apple Wine
While you may find many wild apples not to be in an edible state being bitter and sour the plus side is they can be an excellent choice for making wine.
If you have a couple of trees near you and can find foraged apples which are usually more acidic & bitter, that will be a free source of making your apple wine. But ideally, you can make its profile subtle & sophisticated by blending a variety of apples.
Apple wine recipe here
10) As Vegan Substitutes For Eggs in Baking
Though you may not use apples directly as substitutes we thought it’s worth mentioning that you can use apple cider vinegar and applesauce as vegan substitutes for eggs in baking.
A quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce can be used as a replacement per egg for recipes that call for it, and combine apple cider vinegar with baking soda as a leavening replacement for eggs.
More vegan egg substitutes for egg dishes and vegan baking here
Other Apple Uses
11) Ripen Unripe Fruits
If you need unripened vegetables and fruits such as bananas, avocados, tomatoes, etc. to ripen faster place them in a paper bag with apples which give off the gas ethylene that will speed up the ripening process.
12) As a Natural Teeth Cleaner and to Freshen Your Breath
Apples consist of antibacterial properties and fiber, which aid in oral hygiene & reduce bad breath. Chewing an apple can also secrete more saliva which can result in lowering your bad breath as saliva can wash away bacteria that causes bad breath.
13) Make Cozy Apple Candle Holders
Apple candle holders can make a lovely table decoration as a symbol of love & beauty for valentine’s day or during the Christmas season.
What you need is quite simple, apples, a knife, and candles. Just cut out a small hole on the top of your apple and attach a candle.
14) Freshen Stale Baked Food
Here’s a nice little secret trick for storing your baked goods to keep them fresher for an extended time using something you may already have in your fridge.
Just slice an apple and put it into an airtight container with dry & slightly old baked goods. The apple’s moisture can add back its lost freshness and revitalize keeping the baked goods preserved for 2-3 days longer.
15) Remove Excess Salt When Cooking
Have you ever forgotten the saying “too much of anything is good for nothing” and added excess salt to your soups and casseroles by mistake? No worries!
While most of us were using potatoes to remove excess salt while cooking, according to some cooks a sliced apple (ideally an unripe one as it has more starch) can also get the job done since starch is known to be a natural salt absorber.
Simply toss a few pieces of apples into the pot and leave them to simmer for 10–15 minutes or till the saltiness is reduced to your liking. You don’t have to worry about apple flavor as it will not leave any traces behind.
Related Posts:
- Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 14 Health Benefits of Red Apples and Nutrition Facts
- Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits, Does it Work?
- Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake with Maple Buttercream Recipe