Brewing tea sounds interesting I think I will need to give it a try!

Rabbits love them. Especially the long thin ones that come off the rotating peelers.

How about... eat them? The peels are the best part! In fact, I rarely peel my apples for pies, and though I've never made applesauce I'd imagine a chunky one with chopped peels would be delicious.

i'm with @mercedesz - i'm not persnickety about these things so i never peel my apples, whether for apple sauce, pies, pancakes... there's a lot of goodness in the peel!

The jelly option is where im interested in as i love putting jelly on my breads... i will trying that one, thanks for sharing... =)

they usually don't make it past the bowl once I peel the apples! I sit in front of the tube, peel the apples, eat the peels, and bake the pie!

Not all peels are created equal. Some varietals have very tough peels which aren't all that fun to chew on, although I'm a peel eater generally.

Also, the foul waxes and such that are on many supermarket apples render these moot. :( Those go in the compost.

what interesting ideas....or add to compost.

I always make my applesauce with the peels on--it gives it a pink tinge. Then I use the food mill to get rid of the peels. That's the way my grandmother made hers.

Hubby and I peeled, cored and sliced a big batch of apples and pears the other day. The scraps are sitting in the fridge, waiting to be put in a pot on the stove for a nice aroma.

I eat it all - peel, seeds. My mother was a health food nut and told us the goodness was in the bits.

I make apple syrup from the peels and cores. Boil peels and cores in water with cinnamon and other spices. Strain liquid into another pot, add a good deal of sugar and reduce until thick. Great on waffles, biscuits, pancakes. The recipe is from the colonial era.

@Tricia Rose - I eat peels (generally; not in pies and such), but my kids devour whole apples - peels, seeds, core - before I get to them. I've always wondered if that was a problem...I guess it's ok!

hrprincessfiona - I've heard that too, but that it's incredibly low. No more toxic than city air, basically. I hear they have plenty health benefits, but there too I wonder how many you have to eat to get the benefits?

Anyone tried boiling aluminum w/ the apple peels to tell me if it works? I usually eat my peel, but would be willing to cut them off if to do this if it works.

I just made an apple crisp with the express purpose of obtaining peels. But not for any of the awesome reasons listed. I did it because I heard that apple peels can be helpful for constipated guinea pigs. :-P

Use apple peels in soups or quick breads (think carrot or zucchini) as sweetening agents to limit sugars.

sherri@crunchtime: I'm interested in your suggestion--do you put them in the food processor just to chop small, or do you puree them?

I heard apple is one of a few fruits that is recommended to eat organic. My dad grows apples trees in his backyard and he tried to grow them without any harmful stuff but gave up because none of his apples was edible. This year, he harvested more than a few baskets of apples with a bit of help of chemicals. We make sure we peel our apples now...unless they are organic.

@Ladymantle: I do. 1) They've proven that there is no association betw aluminum cookware and disease. 2) I am stuck with a dreadful electric stovetop & I am broke. I cannot afford expensive cookware. Cheap cookware is usually thin and burns food quickly on an electric stovetop. Aluminum conducts heat from an electric element more quickly evenly than other metals, and I can afford thicker pots.
If there is an affordable and effective alternative cookware that equals or beats aluminum, I am eager to learn about it. I'm not fond of aluminum; it's just the only thing I can afford that doesn't burn food the minute I look away.

@girlalive: Thanks for the laugh!

I dried my peels by putting them on a baking sheet in the oven on its lowest setting for a few hours. They turned out great and can be broken up and added to dishes (oatmeal) or just eaten as a (high fiber) snack.

dehydrate and have as a chewy sweet snack or even bake them for a crispy snack.

I feed them to the dog. She LOVES apples and they're good for her. Not a huge pile all at once of course : ) but a small handful makes a good treat or mix-in for a bowl of kibble.

I dry them because they make great 'chips' (for snacking and to top my morning oatmeal). The peels can also be brewed for hot toddies or just to perfume the house.

Perfect timing! I bought 20 pounds of apples to make into apple butter/apple sauce for canning, and while I love the peels in my apple sauce, I know that some people don't. I think I'll try the apple jelly and drying them.

um, throw them over your shoulder to find out the first initial of your future spouse. :)

I've made cinnamon apple syrup with peels before - take the peels and cores of about 20 apples (it was a big bake day!), cover with water in a large pot (at least 3 quarts water I think) and then add 2 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons of cinnamon. Simmer until reduced about (nearly to halfway), put through a strainer to remove the peels and cores, and bottle. It's great on pancakes!

my bunny loves them!

My little girl loves "stealing" the apple peels from me when I'm peeling apples to bake. I guess she thinks it's a special treat I'm making an exception to let her have. Oddly, the same child keeps eating her apple slices without eating the peel.