Although your child may be used to finding a tart Granny Smith or crunchy Fuji apple in their lunch bag, there are literally thousands of varieties of apples?all of which are at their best in autumn. Cooking and eating seasonally not only provides you with the tastiest produce, but will help get your kids in touch with the natural growing cycles.
Here are some fun ideas to help you explore the word of apples with your children:
1. Organize an apple tasting
Buy a variety of apples in different colors, sizes, and shapes. Rate each on taste, texture, and beauty to crown the winner.
2. Make applesauce
Kids can help core, peel, and cut heaps of apples for homemade applesauce. Try swapping the sugar for mineral-packed maple syrup.
Recipe to try: Applesauce
3. Mull cider with fragrant whole spices
Talk about how juice is made and why apple cider is always so cloudy (not as much of the apple pulp has been filtered out). And don?t forget to stop and smell the fragrant spices and lemon zest before adding.
Recipe to try: Mulled cider
4. Bake apple porcupines
Stick clove "quills" in apples before baking for a simple and delicious treat. Just make sure to remove before eating!
Recipe to try: Baked Apples
5. Go apple picking
Orchards across the country offer apple picking to the public. Add a hay ride and some hot apple cider and you?ll have a day to remember ? plus lots of apples to cook with.
6. Make mini apple pies
Fill a mini pre-made pie crust with classic apple pie filling for an easy snack. More ambitious chefs can roll out dough themselves and use tiny tartlet pans for their diminutive desserts.
Recipe to try: Apple Pie
7. Dip caramel apples
Your children will crave apples once they?re chewy and sweet. Kids can run the dipping operation themselves ? in caramel and then nuts ? with some adult supervision.
Recipe to try: Caramel Apple
All About Apples
- Apple season in North America lasts from around mid-August through November, but apples sold here come from as far away as New Zealand.
- The reason apples float for bobbing contests is that 25% of an apple?s volume is air.
- Members of the rose family, apple trees produce their own distinct blossoms in the spring.
- Humans have been cultivating apples for over 3,000 years.
