recipe: 3 things to do with imperfect apples

If you’ve been following me a while, you know that I used to get a LOT of apples from the farmers market. About 20 pounds worth to be exact! So what would I do with all them apples? Aside from making these apple pancakes or stovetop apple crisp, I love finding easy recipes that are healthy and require minimal effort. If you try any of these out, please tag me and let me know what you think! 

Apple Sauce
Ingredients
6 - 7 medium apples
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ cup water
optional: sweetener of choice

Method
1. Cut apples into quarters and add them to a pot with water and cinnamon on medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, reduce heat to low and cover for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
2. Purée with an immersion blender (or mash with a fork) and leave the apple mash to simmer until desired consistency is reached.
3. Eat within 5 days, or freeze it to last longer!

Apple Chia Jam (adapted from Oh She Glows)
Ingredients
3 medium apples, chopped
¾ cup water
2 tbsp chia seeds
½ tbsp cinnamon
optional: sweetener of choice

Method
1. Add all ingredients to a pot and heat until just boiling, then reduce to medium-low and cover with a lid.
2. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until apples are very soft. Then remove from heat and mash until desired consistency is reached.
3. The jam can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks.

Apple Chips
Ingredients
2 - 3 apples
½ tbsp cinnamon
optional: sweetener of choice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F and prepare the apples by slicing them thinly with a sharp knife or mandolin.
2. Lay apples evenly on a sheet tray, top with cinnamon (and optional sugar) and bake for 45 - 60 min, or until the edges curl up. Make sure they cool first before eating!