Fall is finally here, and not that wishy-washy, mid-70s fall, I’m talking about that real sweater and boots weather, jack-o-lantern carving, campfires-and-nature-hikes type of fall. As a born and bred New England guy, I look forward to autumn every year for all of these activities, but above all else, fall means one thing — apples. Apple pies, hot apple cider, apple fritters, apple picking; it doesn’t matter, autumn and apples go hand in hand.
If, like me, you go apple picking and get a bit overzealous, or if you just happen to overstock at the supermarket while shopping for your trendy fall recipes (like these delicious treats), you probably end up with an unreasonable amount of apples. Sadly, that unreasonable amount of apples results in an unreasonable amount of apple cores, and even more sadly, people tend to simply throw those cores away. Well lucky for you, I’m going to tell you some awesome ways to use all those cores that are not only much more eco-friendly and delicious, but will also save you so much room in your trash can.
Compost
You might have heard of composting apple cores before, and for good reason. Biodegrading apple cores with other food scraps can provide wonderful fertilizer for your home garden, window box, or even a potted plant. If you already compost, just toss your cores into your composting container and call it a day, and even if you don’t, it is super easy to get started — just maybe remember to keep the lid on the compost bin so your roommates don’t hate you.
Apple Water
A lot more people nowadays are ditching added sugar in their diet, and fruit infused waters can be great for those looking to swap their soda for a healthier option. The problem is that most of the supermarket options take as much weight off your wallet as they do your waistline. For a much cheaper, but no less tasty alternative, just add some diced apple cores to a pitcher of water, with any fun add-ins you might want to try (mint and apple is a bomb combination, I’m just saying), and say hello to the answer to both your thirst and your budget
Apple Recipes
Because there is no such thing as too many apple treats. True, most of the apple meat itself may be gone, but that’s no reason for the deliciousness to end. There are tons of recipes utilizing apple scraps, like this one for apple jelly, or this one for applesauce. I don’t know about you, but I’ll eat applesauce in just about any form, and have you ever tasted homemade apple jam? Find a recipe, throw on an apron, and convert all those non-believers with a big, juicy, cinnamon-sugary bite of soft apple flavored heaven.
Donate
Think past just people, and donate your apple scraps to a local farm or nature center. Most places will happily to accept your leftovers as feed for the herds, however the seeds aren’t good for certain animals, so always check first. People too often just chuck their cores into the woods and tell themselves that some squirrel or deer will come along, or it’ll just biodegrade, and while an apple core isn’t as bad as a trash bag, it’s still putting waste into the environment. Donating your scraps is a good way to keep that trash out of the woods, and you get to feel good about filling the furry bellies of all those goats, horses, pigs, cows — you get the picture.
Eat Them!
Yeah, you forgot the core was edible didn’t you? That “gross” part that you throw out every time, it’s totally ok to eat, and still full of lots of apple-y goodness. For anyone who loves that classic apple crunch, the core has a great texture, flavor, and all the same health benefits of the rest of the apple. Not everyone likes to eat the core, which is totally fine, but if you haven’t tried it, why not give it a shot? You might just find out you like it because, well, it’s still an apple, and apples are amazing.
So this autumn, as you’re hauling your hand-picked bushel home, (or just lugging that store bought 10 pounds bag down the sidewalk), don’t forget the cores as you think about what to do with all those apples. Pick any one or more of the suggestions above, and who knows? You might just find your new favorite use for all those apples. Plus, after all those Saturday night drunchie binges on greasy pizza, let’s not all start pretending like we’re too good for mouth-watering apple-core sauce.