If you have lots of apples, one great way to use them is to make Stewed Apples. Stewed Apples are easy to make and perfect for so many things (and they freeze too!)
Apples are a favorite in our house at any time of the year, but they are particularly good in fall, of course, when they are in season locally. We are lucky enough to live in an area with lots of apple orchards and we try to go picking at least once each year. After all, apples are good for you, right?! Learn about health benefits of apples and how to shop for and store them in our Facts About Apples article.
Inevitably, though, that means you have a huge bag of apples to try to get through. Apples do keep a lot better than many fruits, but there’s still a limit to how long you want to keep them in a warm house. While we love snacking on them, they also go in various favorite recipes, like Swiss Bircher muesli and apple and bacon cornmeal scones.
Why make stewed apples?
After making all the fresh apple recipes, If you still find yourself with lots of apples, stewed apples are a great way to use up a glut. They’re also an incredibly delicious addition to so many dishes. I like to make up a small amount of stewed apples to keep in the fridge for various dishes, or I make more if I know I have a particular dish in mind.
Can I freeze Stewed Apples?
Stewed Apples will keep in the fridge, covered, for around a week then you can freeze them if you want to keep longer. This stewed apples recipe is for one apple which will make a couple parfaits or toppings for pancakes etc. If you want more, it’s easy to increase all the quantities – just be aware they will take a bit longer to reduce the liquid with more, but a bigger batch is more convenient if you plan to freeze the stewed apples for easy use.
How to make stewed apples
There are a couple variations on how to cook stewed apples. Essentially, stewing means you cook the apples in a little liquid and sweeten them a little. The liquid can be either water or apple juice. Some versions first cook the apples in a little butter which adds a bit of richness. You can add spice, or not, as you prefer. Personally I think a little cinnamon is always good.
- Peel the apple and cut into quarters.
- Remove core then either slice or dice the apples (depending, in part how you will use them).
- Melt the butter in a pan, add the apples and cook a couple minutes.
- Add the apple juice, cinnamon and lemon juice then simmer a few more minutes until the apples are just tender and the liquid is syrup-y.
How to use stewed apples
Stewed apples have so many uses, such as:
- apple crumble
- apple crisp
- apple muffins
- apple turnovers
- in cakes
- in a simple sauce with pork or chicken (eg add a little cream or stock and some prunes)
- as an easy dessert with ice cream
- alongside/on top of waffles or pancakes
- to make a parfait, either for dessert or breakfast.
More Fresh Apple Recipes
- Apple and Delicata Squash Tart
- Baked Apple Pork Chops
- Sauteed Apples
- Sliced Baked Apples
- Ina Garten Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apple Empanadas
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Apple Banana Smoothie
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Stewed apples are easy to make, incredibly versatile to use and a delicious taste of fall.
- 1 apple
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup apple juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Peel the apple and cut into quarters.
Remove core then either slice or dice the apples - I typically use slices eg for parfait, apple crisp, sauces, but would use diced for muffins.
Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then add the apples and cook a couple minutes.
Add the apple juice, cinnamon and lemon juice then simmer around 5 minutes until the apples are just tender and the liquid has become thick and almost syrup-like. If your apples are a bit tart, you may want to sweeten slightly before you let hem cool.
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