Waste Not! Five Ways To Use Mealy Apples

A mealy apple is no one’s favorite lunchtime surprise, we can all agree on that! So what do you do when you wind up with a bunch of them in your fridge? Before just throwing them away, try using them in one of these ways:

Cooking helps to break down dry, mealy apples and release their flavorful juice:

1. Applesauce – Homemade applesauce is a great snack to have around the house, and you can make a batch with even just a few apples. Here’s our recipe for making it yourself: DIY Applesauce.

2. Baked Apples – Baking whole apples is like making apple sauce in a handy container! We like to stuff apples with whatever is handy: brown sugar, maple syrup, oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruit. Then we bake them with a little liquid until they’re soft and piping hot.

3. Sweet-Savory Sauce for Pork – Pork and apples are a classic pairing. You can make a quick un-sweetened applesauce, or you can sauté diced apples with other savory ingredients like cabbage, nuts, and caramelized onions.

4. In Baking – We wouldn’t use mealy apples for something like apple pie, but they can make a great addition to muffins, scones, and pancakes.

5. Dried Apples – Thin slices of apples can be baked or microwaved into crispy chips, while thicker chunks could be dehydrated slowly in the oven and used in our winter baking.

What other ideas do you have for using mealy apples?

Related: How to: Use Up Over-Ripe Fruit

(Image: Flickr member DeusXFlorida licensed under Creative Commons)