The most fun Alie Romano had during the COVID-19 pandemic was probably the day she spent picking apples with friends at an orchard: “It’s like you’re in this beautiful nature, and kind of going back to basics again, and you’re spending time with friends.”
The Toronto-based recipe developer behind Baking for Friends reflected on that socially-distanced outing a few autumns ago during a recent interview with Yahoo Canada. She added that the excursion prompts you to also think about different varieties of the fruit, as you might not necessarily think of those differences in other contexts.
An almost seasonal requirement in the Instagram age, apple picking is the exact sort of wholesome fun that can feel all too sparse in adult life. But with food costs rising and people feeling more disconnected than ever from what they’re eating, your apple picking haul could be more than just a wholesome afternoon: It could be a way to cut down on grocery costs while connecting to fresh, local, seasonal eating in a visceral way.
For Romano’s part, making memories over food she harvested herself predates influencer culture: “I grew up with being more interactive with food. That is in the process of going apple picking, getting it where the source is and bringing it home and baking with it,” she said, adding that her grandma sparked that interest by picking strawberries and crafting homemade jam with the fruit when she was younger.
Here, Romano shares ideas on how to make the most of the glut you’ve lugged back from the orchard. Read on to learn more about the best ways you can use apples in your home kitchen.
Romano noted Granny Smith apples are popular for baking, but she also loves Honeycrisps, as well as combining varieties to “get more flavour and more depth.” (Photo via Getty Images)
An apple a day keeps the doctor away — but is it too sugary?
Apples are the only food with a slogan about keeping medical professionals at a distance, and like all fruits, they contain a wealth of nutrients. For one, they’re a good source of fibre, which is a key nutrient most people don’t get enough of. Apples also boast several antioxidants and micronutrients that contribute to good health.
And to the crowd that eschews fruits for containing sugar? It’s worth remembering that an apple and a chocolate bar are not the same: Not only do apples have added nutrients, but the sugars in the fruit are not the same as the added sugars we find in processed food. It’s those in the second category that can contribute to health conditions — such as heart disease and colorectal cancer — if eaten in excess. Even people with diabetes can safely enjoy fruit like apples as part of a healthy diet.
According to Verywell Health, cooked apples have a nearly identical nutritional profile to raw apples. However, cooked apples may be easier to digest, which can be useful for those with digestive issues.
When it comes to baking with apples (a subject Romano is an expert in, as her recent round-up of apple recipes proves), you at least know you’ll be getting nutrients along with a sweet treat.
How can I save money by cooking with the apples I picked?
When it comes to cutting down on grocery costs, throwing away food is literally throwing away money: According to the most recent numbers from the National Zero Waste council, most Canadian households chuck the equivalent of $1,300 worth of food into the compost annually. At least 60 per cent of that amount — or $780 — is easily preventable.
As well, most U-Pick farms sell their products for less per kilogram than the grocery store or farmers’ market, since the labour cost can be axed. Of course, you have to know your prices on this front, but a lower rate per weight and the ability to stock up makes the math almost do itself. When it comes to apples, throw them into a produce bag inside the crisper drawer with a damp towel, and they can keep for months.
I think people are getting into the kitchens more, and there’s more pride in what you’re eating.
Alie Romano
Then there’s the aspect of connectedness with our food. This one’s hard to assign a hard dollar value to, but is still worthwhile: To this day, Romano she uses her grandmother’s pastry recipe to create the perfect apple pie, a treat her grandfather often topped with a slice of good cheddar cheese. Home cooking and connection has made the U.S.’s National Library of Medicine call home cooking “a powerful medical intervention,” since being involved in how your food is prepared is inextricably linked to good health.
“I think people are starting to understand more about food, and they care more about food. So they’re going, ‘Where is it coming from?’ If I’m going to the grocery store, I’m looking for Ontario apples or Canadian apples,” Romano noted. “And now that that’s kind of happening, I think people are getting into the kitchens more, and there’s more pride in what you’re eating, because you’re going: ‘I made that, and it’s actually pretty good,’ or ‘I had fun doing it.’ I think that’s kind of coming back to people, and I really like that.”
What can I make with my apples?
When it comes to savoury applications, apples are not to be overlooked: Adding an apple or two to root vegetable soups is a classic chef’s trick to make things taste more gourmet, while a layer of thinly sliced crisp apples can make a sandwich of cheese or cold cuts even more delicious than usual. In particular, try channelling your inner Noah Kahan with a Vermonter sandwich, which consists of apples, turkey, cheese and mustard.
But of course it’s in the world of desserts where apples maintain top-tier status, ready to be deployed alongside warming spices, butter and sugar to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. To make the most of apples in baking, be it in a crumble, pie or cake, Romano has a few tips to keep in mind:
Adding lemon juice (even if it’s bottled) will prevent apples from going brown in your bake
Warming spices like cinnamon are classics for a reason, but caramel and brown sugar are also worthwhile flavours
Cutting apples into similar-sized pieces is key for even cooking
Mixing apple varieties is not only OK but can lead to a more interesting result texturally since some apples break down while cooking and others remain firm
Recipe: Alie Romano’s Easy Cinnamon Swirl Apple BreadCake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp milk, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling/Topping
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Glaze
1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Combine your filling/topping ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, start making the cake by combining the sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
In another bowl, combine your dry ingredients for the cake, including the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then, add these dry ingredients to your other bowl with the wet ingredients.
Peel and cut the apple, then fold all but a handful into the batter. Pour half the batter into the loaf pan, smooth it out and then add half of the filling/topping mixture, using a knife to create swirls. Top with the remaining batter, add the reserved apples on top and add the rest of the filling/topping mixture.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, drizzle your glaze mixture on top and serve.
Delicious apple treats can skew as simple as “ice cream with chopped apples and caramel sauce,” Romano brainstormed. “Then you can get fancier and make apple roses and drizzle caramel over it. … I like pairing cranberries with apples as well, which isn’t wild, but I think people forget about it a lot.
“In the lunch box, or in the cafeteria, you’re like, ‘Ugh, another apple.’ But during fall, it’s not an overlooked fruit, because if you don’t like pumpkin, you’ve got apple.” And now, when you’ve got a lot of apples, it’ll be easy to make the most of them.
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Dining and Cooking