What to Make With Apples This Fall

It’s that time of year folks – Ontario apple season is upon us! Our stores are piling up with all kinds of freshly picked local apples, and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of their delicious ripe flavour while they’re in peak season. 

But there are a lot of different kinds of apples – like, a lot. Do you ever wonder which are best for what, what their flavour differences are, or when they become available? 

Here are some tasty ideas for what to make with apples this fall, highlighting which apples are best to use, and when they first hit our stores. 

Note that apple availability timelines can vary based on factors like weather, and aren’t guaranteed! Keep your eyes peeled for these apples when you’re shopping throughout the fall. 

1. Homemade Apple Sauce

Homemade apple sauce made with fresh locally grown apples has a taste that often exceeds anything store-bought – and it’s so simple to make! Enjoy it as a snack, use it in cakes and muffins to make them moist, or pair with yogurt, cottage cheese, or vanilla ice cream!

If you’re in the mood for apple sauce, but just don’t have the time or energy to make it yourself, our Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce is the next best thing to homemade! It’s made with Ontario apples – and that’s all!

Which Apple is Best?

To ease your cooking process making, you’ll want to use apples that are slightly softer so that can easily break down when cooked. We also recommend using a couple of types of apples to get a nice variety of flavours. 

Try using a combination of either:

McIntosh (Sept.) – mildly tart, sweeten as they ripen & soft OR

Empire (Sept.) – slightly tart, juicy and crisp

Along with:

Golden Delicious (Sept.) – mellow, sweet, and juicy

Easy Apple Sauce Recipe 

8-10 medium apples, peeled, cored & sliced 

1 cup of water 

¼ cup of white sugar, maple syrup, or honey, or more to taste 

3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1. Add all your ingredients to a saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 20 min., or until apples are soft. Allow them to cool, then mash for a sauce that’s a little chunky. Alternatively, put apples in a food processor for a sauce that’s completely smooth (you could also use an immersion blender). 
2. Add water when mashing or blending if the sauce is too thick for your liking. 
3. Store in the fridge in an airtight glass container, like a mason jar. 

2. Cabbage & Apple Slaw

Squeeze the very last out of BBQ season and pair some saucy BBQ or smoked brisket with a fresh and tangy cabbage and apple slaw. 

Which Apple is Best?

You’ll want to use apples that have a firm, crisp texture so that they can keep their form when thinly sliced into a slaw, or any salad for that matter. 

Honeycrisp (late Sept.) – sweet-tart & wonderfully crisp

Fuji (mid-late Oct.) – super sweet, crisp & juicy

Ambrosia (October) – distinct aroma, sweet, low acid, crisp

How to Prep a Quick Slaw 

1. Just mix some julienned apple, your favourite cabbage/slaw mix, salt, pepper, and some Apple Cider Coleslaw Dressing!
2. Psst – we also carry a Red Cabbage Salad with Apples if you’re looking for some similar sweet and tangy flavour to pair with your BBQ without any prep. 

3. Apple Crisp

Is there anything cozier than a warm bowl of sweet and tender apple crisp covered with a buttery oat crumble, topped with a scoop of luxe vanilla ice cream?

We love a traditional apple pie or a delicate and intricate apple tart, especially if it’s baked with a made-from-scratch crust (drool). But an apple crisp’s rustic, no-fuss nature makes it a little less intimidating to prepare for those who aren’t avid bakers, and it still carries all the wonderful sweet flavour of apple pie filling (and maybe even more)!

Which Apple is Best?

When it comes to making a delicious apple crisp, or pie for that matter, you want to use apples that won’t soften too much when baked. That way, you’re left with tender slices of apple, and not apple mush! 

Granny Smith (mid-Oct.) – very tart & firm, but sweetens when baked 

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped or sliced

2 tbsp of granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice 

1 cup brown sugar 

¾ cup rolled oats 

¾ cup flour 

½ tsp salt 

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Farm Boy™ Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon together, then pour into a buttered 8×8 baking dish. 
3. In another bowl, mix flour, oats, salt and stir to combine. Then add in cold butter and mix roughly with a fork or hands so that the mixture looks crumbly.
4. Spread topping over apples and bake for 30-40 min until topping is golden brown. 
5. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!  

4. Apples on Horseback

Let’s take a savoury detour, shall we? Apples on horseback is a very simple appetizer combining the sweetness of apple, the saltiness of fried pancetta, and the creaminess of cheese into one harmonious bite!

Which Apple is Best?

Cripps Pink, also known as Pink Lady (Nov.) – tangy-sweet & very firm 

How to Make Them

13 slices of pancetta

1 Cripps Pink apple cored and cut into 13 wedges

13 ¼-inch-thick sticks of Manchego cheese (Spanish sheep’s milk cheese with a slightly sweet, fruity flavour) with the rind removed

1. Wrap a piece of apple and cheese together with a slice of pancetta and secure them with a toothpick or sprig of rosemary. Repeat for the remaining pieces of apple. 
2. Pan fry your appetizers until the pancetta is crisp and golden, with the cheese melted (about 5-6 min). 

5. Apple Chips

Wondering what to do with leftover apples from baking? Use them up by making this fun and fruity snack! 

Which Apple is Best?

Gala (early Sept.) – sweet, fragrant with hints of vanilla, and crisp

Cortland (October) – mild, sweet and crisp

Honeycrisp (late Sept.) – sweet-tart & wonderfully crisp

How to Make Them

1. Wash (our Fruit and Vegetable Wash works wonders) and core your apples, then thinly slice them into rings. 
2. If you don’t have a dehydrator, simply preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.
3. Lay them out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and sprinkle with cinnamon. 
4. Bake for an hour, then flip them and bake for about another hour, or until they’re golden and crispy on each side. 

6. Apple Cider

Warm up from the crisp fall air with a nice hot cup of fresh apple cider! Not only is homemade apple cider soothing, the process of making it will fill your house with an incredible aroma.

Which Apple is Best?

Go tart and sweet! As with applesauce, try using a combination of apples with tart and sweet flavour profiles to make your cider. 

Here are some that we recommend:

McIntosh (Sept.) – mildly tart, sweeten as they ripen & soft OR

Gala (early Sept.) – sweet, fragrant with hints of vanilla, and crisp

Golden Delicious (Sept.) – mellow, sweet, and juicy

Honeycrisp (late Sept.) – sweet-tart & wonderfully crisp

Simple Apple Cider Recipe

10 medium-large apples, use a variety 

½ an orange cut into two

4 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp cloves 

1 tsp allspice 

1 whole nutmeg 

½ cup of brown sugar or maple syrup

1. Put all ingredients into a stockpot over medium heat and add water until it covering 2 inches over your ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 2 hours covered. 
3. Remove the orange, then mash your apple and whole spices with a spoon or masher.
4. Continue cooking on a low simmer, now uncovered, for about another hour. 
5. Strain through a fine mesh strainer with a heat-safe bowl underneath, pressing on your apple mash with the back of a large mixing spoon or spatula to separate the juices into your bowl. Toss your solids into the compost. 
6. Serve your apple cider warm, or let cool and refrigerate if you prefer it served cold. 

7. Baked Nutty Caramel Apples

A must-try this fall! Fresh apples are halved, cored, and baked with sweet cinnamon-spiced nuts then drizzled with caramel sauce. This idea could potentially be one of the best ways to enjoy local apples in all their fruity glory.

Which Apple Is Best?

A small-medium-sized apple would work well for a good apple-to-topping ratio. You’ll also want ones that are sweet and retain their shape when baked.

Gala (early Sept.) – sweet, fragrant with hints of vanilla, and crisp

Baked Apple Recipe

See our Chef’s recipe for Baked Nutty Caramel Apples here!

What is your favourite thing to make with apples that helps you get into the fall spirit? Share it with us on social!