Eat Seasonally in September: An Apple a Day

While Labor Day may signal the unofficial start of fall, we think seeing bushels of apples at the market must be a close second. Apples are such a versatile fruit, thanks to all the different varieties. Even though they're available all year long, September is prime time for eating and cooking with apples.

In fact, we've challenged ourselves to eat an apple a day in September -- in a salad, cooked into a pie or cobbler, or raw as a snack. We'd love for you to join us!

An Apple a Day: Thousands of Apple Varieties

There are over 7,000 varieties of apples, but you'll only find a small fraction of those in your local grocery or farmer's market. Nearly everyone is familiar with Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, but here are a few of our other favorite apples worth exploring:

Fuji

Fuji apples are a descendant of Red Delicious, but they're much sweeter and more crunchy than Red Delicious. Try them in salads or eaten raw.

Granny Smith

Tart, green Granny Smith apples are ideal for cooking and freezing. If you prefer a less sweet apple, they're also great for salads and snacks.

Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp apples are also excellent for cooking. However, because Honeycrisp are usually more expensive, we prefer to savor their delicious juicy taste raw.

Gala

Gala apples are great for applesauce since they're naturally on the sweeter and softer side. They're also easier to find and less expensive than Honeycrisp.

An Apple a Day: Go Apple Picking

You can choose from among the apple varieties at your local grocery or farmer's market. But you can also go apple picking in orchards all over the country. It's a fun family activity and a great way for kids to learn about the food they eat.

Apple harvests vary depending on weather conditions, especially when spring freezes halt fruit development. Summer droughts and hail storms can also affect harvests. Keep these factors in mind when looking for a place to go apple picking. Call ahead to farms to confirm they are open for picking, and find out whether to bring your own bags.

An Apple a Day: Take the Challenge With These Apple Recipes

We could easily eat an apple a day all through September just as an afternoon snack. But since we love to cook, we want to share a few apple recipes too.

Homemade Applesauce

We're confident that once you've made homemade applesauce, you will never go back to the jarred version on the supermarket shelves. Homemade applesauce takes time, but it's actually quite simple and the taste is worth it.

The Pioneer Woman has a wonderful recipe for homemade applesauce. We love it not just because it's delicious, but also because she tells you how to tweak it to your own tastes. Speaking of which, we prefer to use Gala apples for their natural sweetness, and cut back on the added sugar just a bit.

Tarte Tatin

Another classic apple recipe is a tarte Tatin. We loved learning the story behind this French dessert, thanks to Aube Giroux on PBS Food. Giroux shares her tarte Tatin recipe and confides that going apple picking is part of the fun for her.

She advises to choose any locally grown apples you like, as long as they are on the tart side and will hold their shape. Pay close attention to her guidance for safely inverting your tarte Tatin, and then relish the moment you unveil it.

Waldorf Salad

This classic apple salad dates back to the late 19th century. Oscar Tschirky, maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf Hotel, created the original recipe which includes only apples, celery and mayonnaise. Nowadays, everyone has their own idea of what ingredients belong in Waldorf salad (similar to paella).

Of all the modern Waldorf Salad recipes we found, this one from Add a Pinch is our favorite. It includes a couple simple additions that go beautifully with the good stuff from the original recipe. Perfect for fall!