It was a beautiful day at the orchard. You gorged on cider donuts, and your trunk is filled with red and gold apples. You spent hours plucking these shiny, crisp pieces of fruit from twisted tree branches, but what do you do with this bounty now? After crossing a pie (with a fancy lattice top, of course) off your to-do list, consider these tasty ways to use up the leftover apples filling your kitchen.
Applesauce
Resist the urge to dump in a ton of sugar, and easy-to-make applesauce is a Vitamin C-rich, in-between-meals treat—with a long shelf life. Simply core apples, chop them, and then simmer in a saucepan with water, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. At the dinner table, potato pancakes and pork chops also get a boost from the chunky spread.
Apple Butter
It will take a while (about 12 hours), but once you break down apples, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a slow cooker, you’ll have breakfast-elevating butter in which to slather ho-hum slices of whole-wheat, or to use as a topping to elevate your next French toast creation.
Apple Pancakes
Swap the bananas for diced apples and fold them into buttermilk flapjacks for a cool, textural burst—just don’t forget to top with cinnamon. Or, try a fall-perfect, deep-dish, Dutch-style pancake cooked in a cast-iron pan and laden with thick slices of the fruit.
Apple Potpourri
Transform your home into an aromatic Bath & Body Works with a DIY potpourri. Cut apples into paper-thin slices, put them on a baking sheet until they dry out for about 40 minutes, and then mix them with a crumbled cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg, orange peel, and vanilla oil to elicit a heady, autumnal perfume.
Apple Infusions
Give vodka a sweet, tangy burst with a fruity infusion. Core and quarter a few apples (the more robust flavor you crave, the more apples) and let them mingle in a mason jar with vodka for three to five days, shaking the concoction about every eight hours. When it’s ready, simply serve on the rocks or with a splash of club soda for a fall-like tipple. If you’d rather use your leftover apples as a garnish, try this Walden Apple Sour cocktail instead.
Apple Chips
You’ve snacked on kale chips before, so try an autumn version. This snack-worthy recipe is super simple. Cut the leftover apples into thin slices and then plop them onto a baking sheet. Top them with a crumbled mix of cinnamon and sugar, then slide them into the oven at low heat for about 45 minutes, until curled and crispy.
Related: The Best Apple Cider Donut Destinations in the Hudson Valley
