Whether you have apple trees in your yard or are starting to see more of them in your local market, you’re probably beginning to wonder what to do with all of those delicious treats that are now in season here in Southern Ontario.  Don’t pass up on those great local apples this year!  We are sharing 3 methods of preserving apples that we think you’ll find very “apeeling” and will have you reaping the rewards of juicy apple flavors well into 2019.

When you are preserving it is best to use apples that have been freshly harvested, not stored.  Each apple variety has its own unique flavor, texture, colour and cooking properties.  To find out which variety will work best for preserving, talk to your local orchard grower and experiment with the local varieties.  Here is a short list of apples with a proven track record of being great for preserving:

Dried Apples: Gravenstein, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gold Rush, Pink Lady, Cortland, Empire, Zestar
Infused Apples: Gala, Fuji
Saucing Apples:  Gala, Lodi, McIntosh, Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Jonamac, Jonagold, Mutsu, Jazz, Fuji, Pink Lady

Apples are at their prime in September and October, which is also great weather for strolling through orchards and plucking fruit fresh from the trees with the family.  If your backyard is not swimming in apples, we are lucky enough to have many charming orchards here in Middlesex County.  Here are a few great places you can visit:

Apple Land Station – https://www.applelandstation.com
Great Lakes Farms – http://www.greatlakesfarms.ca/
Millar Berry Farms – http://www.millerberryfarms.com

It’s finally time for the delicious part of this blog post – the juicy recipes!  We’ve included three methods of preserving apples: drying, infusing and canning.  These recipes can be used in sweet and/or savory dishes.  Preserved apples will add fall flavor to your table all year long and we bet you’ll find these recipes as tasty as we do.  Click the recipes below to have a full view.