5 Reasons To Include More Apples In Your Cooking
Sure, an apple on its own is a great snack. You can even take it to the next level and pair it with other tasty ingredients like peanut butter or cheese. But there are so many other great ways you can use apples in the kitchen if you choose to cook with them rather than simply eat them as they come.
By choosing to incorporate this tasty fruit into your recipes, you can create some sensational dishes that the whole family will love. Plus, you get the chance to be a little creative and try some recipes you might not have thought of before.
If you’re still not convinced apple needs to be your next favourite ingredient, that’s OK too. In the guide below, we’ve put together a list of five reasons you should include more apples in your cooking.
Trust us, and you’ll never look back.
1. They are full of nutrients and goodness
Let’s start with one of the most common reasons you might wish to incorporate more apples into your cooking, and that’s for the health benefits.
You’ve probably heard the old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Well, this saying didn’t just appear from nowhere. In fact, it makes perfect sense because apples are absolutely packed with nutrients and goodness that can help to care for your body.
For example, apples are low in fat and bursting with fibre, vitamin C, potassium, calcium and iron. All of which contribute to better overall health. Not only this, but these little health bombs are rich in antioxidants which can help to fight cell damage in your body.
2. They are good for gut health
The health benefits don’t stop there. As apples are full of fibre, they are also great for your gut health and keeping your digestive system running smoothly. Research has also shown that apples contain a type of fibre called pectin, which helps grow good bacteria in your stomach. This can help to reduce inflammation and boost your immunity.
3. They are very versatile and offer lots of recipe ideas
Apples are looking pretty good so far, right? Well, there’s more to come. This fruit can also add moisture, acidity, crispness and texture to any recipe, making them a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen.
Because of this, there are loads of applications for apples in your cooking, from homemade baby food and desserts, to pork dishes and even on top of salads.
With so many options to choose from, the challenging part will be deciding what to cook each time and trying to find the time to test out all these exciting new recipes.
4. They are so tasty
Another common and more obvious reason to add more apples to your cooking is that they are very tasty.
As we’ve said, they have loads of applications in cooking, which means they can instantly add a sweet or tart flavour to your recipes, depending on the type of apple you choose and how they are prepared.
What’s more, the flavour pallet of an apple lends itself nicely to other ingredients too. For example, nuts and caramel. They also pair well with some tangy spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, as well as other fruits like citrus, cranberries, apricots and more.
Keeping all of this in mind, it’s so easy to enhance the flavour of your dishes even further when you’re cooking with apples.
5. They go well with sweet or savoury
Last but certainly not least, we’ve mentioned how versatile apple is as an ingredient, and this is proven by the fact that they can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. This opens you up to a whole world of options in the kitchen and can encourage you to try out new recipes and possibly even add apples to older dishes that you might not have considered before.
In terms of sweet foods, apples go great in cakes, pastries and pies, and we tend to recognise this fruit most in cookies and cakes. But for many, the lesser known and, therefore, lesser cooked dishes are the savoury ones.
You can use apples to make a sauce that pairs well with pork, for example, on your Sunday roast or with sausages. But so much more than this, apples can be used in tarts, quiches, potato dishes, stuffing, coleslaw, and more.
So this year, why not make apple one of your favourite ingredients, not just for your health and the health of your guests, but also because of all its tasty applications? By simply making this one ingredient a regular in your pantry, you can transform your kitchen and wow your taste buds.