From Honeycrips to Ambrosia, Granny Smith to Gala
This September, my partner and I visited an apple orchard in the Okanagan. From Honeycrips to Ambrosia, Granny Smith to Gala, we had so much fun sampling, comparing, and discovering all the different local apple varieties!
Fast forward two months, and winter is just arriving in Northern BC. It's the perfect time to enjoy fresh, crisp BC-grown apples from this year’s harvest, which wrapped up not too long ago! Maybe you are searching for that perfectly sweet, crisp apple, or simply looking for a fun activity to do with the kids. Either way, have you considered doing your own apple taste test from the comforts of your own home? All you need to do is pick out a few different varieties of apples from your local grocery store, and let your taste buds guide you.
If you plan on trying this with kids, here are a few tips to get you started:
- Ask kids to describe how the apple looks, feels, smells, sounds, and taste. What colour is the apple? Is it sweet or sour? Soft or crunchy?
- Consider serving some slices with a peanut butter or yogurt based dip to amp up the nutrition. Bonus: kids will love dunking their fruit in a yummy dip!
- Encourage them to explore further. Where do apples grow? What are your favourite ways to eat them?
- Invite kids to taste each apple, if they like, without any pressure. Remember, seeing, touching, exploring, and sharing a snack together are all good learning - even if kids don't eat a particular food!
If you'd like to try an apple taste test as part of a classroom-based activity, be sure to check out this “Taste the Difference” lesson plan.
Whether fresh or baked, there are so many delicious ways to enjoy apples this season. I love this cheddar-apple quesadilla recipe because it's simple enough to make on a busy weeknight, yet fancy enough to impress guests. Kids can help too, by washing apples, grating cheese, and assembling the quesadillas.
Cheddar-apple quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 apple of your choice, thinly sliced
- 4 whole-wheat flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or other cheese of your choice
- 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Sprinkle half the cheese over one half of tortilla.
- Place several apple slices on top of cheese, and sprinkle remaining cheese and dried thyme.
- Fold tortilla in half and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Looking for more recipes featuring apples?
Here are two of my favourites!
Do you have a favourite apple recipe? Share in the comments below!
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