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what to do with too many apples

Too many apples is a good “problem” to have: focus on three things—store, preserve, and share.

Quick Scoop

1. Store what you can (so they don’t spoil)

  • Sort and inspect apples; eat or cook bruised ones first, store only firm, undamaged fruit.
  • Keep them in a cool, slightly humid place (crisper drawer, cold basement, or garage in fall) to last weeks or even a few months.
  • Check the stash every week and pull any that are softening or spotted.

2. Freeze for future recipes

  • Core and chop/slice apples, toss with a little lemon or lime juice to prevent browning, then freeze on a tray and bag them.
  • Use frozen apples later for pies, crumbles, smoothies, oatmeal, pancakes, or savory dishes with pork or chicken.
  • You can also pre-make pie filling or unbaked crumble topping and freeze it so dessert is basically “dump and bake” later.

3. Big-batch applesauce or apple butter

  • Roughly chop apples (no need to peel if you blend later), add a bit of water and optional cinnamon, and cook until very soft for easy applesauce.
  • Scale up in a big pot: guides show methods for batches from a few kilos up to around 10 kg before it gets unwieldy.
  • Cook the sauce longer with spices until thick and deeply flavored to turn it into apple butter; can or freeze in jars and give as gifts.

4. Dry, juice, or ferment

  • Slice and dehydrate apples into chips for snacks or granola; air fryers and low ovens work if you don’t have a dehydrator.
  • Juice them for fresh cider; people do this with a blender and straining cloth if they don’t own a juicer.
  • If you’re into DIY projects, that cider can become hard cider or apple cider vinegar with the right fermentation steps.

5. Everyday cooking ideas (sweet and savory)

  • Sweet: pies, crisps, fritters, baked apples, turnovers, muffins, and breakfast bowls with warm spiced apples and granola.
  • Savory: apple–cheese grilled sandwiches, apple and cabbage slaw, apple in frittatas, soups (like mulligatawny or onion–apple), and with pork or sausages.
  • Add them to salads, yogurt, or cheese boards if you don’t have a strong sweet tooth.

6. Share the abundance

  • Bag up some apples for friends, neighbors, coworkers, or community fridges and food banks that accept fresh produce.
  • Turn them into “giftable” treats like apple butter, applesauce, or dried apple rings and hand them out around holidays or gatherings.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.