14 Clever Uses for Apples You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Updated: Nov. 06, 2019
Dealing with a disaster in the kitchen? There's an apple for that! These brilliant new uses for apples will have you seeing everyone's favourite fruit in a whole new light.
Roast a juicy chicken
If your roast chicken tends to come out of the oven looking like something from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, don’t fret. The next time you roast a chicken, stuff an apple inside the bird before placing it in the roasting dish. When it’s finished cooking, toss the used fruit in the compost and get ready to sit down to a delicious—and juicy—main course.
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Keep cakes fresh
Want a simple and effective way to extend the shelf life of your homemade or shop-bought cakes? Store them with a half an apple. It helps the cake maintain its moisture considerably longer than merely popping it in the fridge.
Got more flour in your cupboards than you could possibly use for baking? Check out these clever uses for flour outside the kitchen.
Ripen green tomatoes
If someone in your family just ‘helped’ by harvesting a few green tomatoes off the vine for you, don’t sweat. You can quickly ripen them up by placing them—along with an already ripe apple—in a paper bag for a couple of days. For the best results, maintain a ratio of about five or six tomatoes per apple.
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Fluff up hardened brown sugar
Brown sugar has the irritating habit of hardening up when exposed to humidity. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to make this a temporary condition. Simply place an apple wedge in a resealable plastic bag with the chunk of hardened brown sugar. Tightly seal the bag and put it in a dry place for a day or two. Your sugar will once again be soft enough to use.
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Absorb salt in soups and casseroles
Salting to taste is one thing, but it is possible to overdo it. When you find yourself getting heavy-handed with the salt, simply drop a few apple wedges into the pot. After cooking for another 10 minutes or so, remove the wedges-along with the excess salt.
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Make a decorative candleholder
Add a cozy, country feel to your fall or winter table setting by creating a natural candleholder. Use an apple corer to carve a hole three-quarters of the way down into a pair of larger apples, insert a tall battery-powered taper candle into each hole, surround the apples with a few leaves, branches or flowers and voila—a lovely seasonal centrepiece!
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Make an easy craft for kids
If you are ever babysitting or with your own kiddo and find that they are bored or whining, try making stamps with apples! All you have to do is get some paint or ink (preferably washable or water-based), cut the apple in half, dip the inside and press it on construction paper or cloth. You can experiment with all sorts of colours and create patterns, making this simple art activity a fun one.
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Give your core a workout
Put some extra punch in your crunch by placing an apple between your thighs and squeeze it while you do your crunches. Trying to hold the apple in place will make you work your hip flexors and adductors in addition to your abs.
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Clean your oily hair
If you ever find that your hair seems to be more oily than usual, put a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a pint of water, and rinse it through your hair after shampooing and conditioning in the shower or bath to help remove soap residue that can contribute to your oily hair.
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Give yourself a mini facial
Apples are great when it comes to reducing inflammation and the appearance of fine wrinkles. All you have to do: Peel an apple and grate the core and then apply it to your skin. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and rinse it off with warm water. Apples aren’t the only fruit that has more than one use.
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Make potpourri
One of the most creative uses for apples is potpourri. Skip the pricy stuff and DIY. Set your oven to 250 degrees, thinly slice the apples, and bake in a single layer for about an hour and a half. After they dry, mix them with spices like cinnamon or cloves. Stick them in a jar and voila!
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Create a decorative centrepiece
The apple of your eye might be a creative centerpiece using apples. Fill a vase with green, Granny Smith apples, or bright, Red Delicious apples, to create an eye-catching centerpiece for any fall occasion. You could even use sticks to create what looks like an apple bouquet for the table.
Fancy more DIY? Here’s how you can make your own terrarium!
Make a simple DIY Christmas gift
It’s almost never too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts. Take a DIY approach and make ornaments out of applesauce and glue. You’ll need applesauce, cinnamon, craft glue, cookie cutters, and decorating materials. Mix them all together and bake them for an easy, fun craft.
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Create edible place cardholders
Fresh apples make great place cardholders. Cut a leaf shape out of green construction paper and write down the name of your dinner guest. Place it near the apple stem for a quick and easy hostess DIY project.
Now that you know the best uses for apples, check out these clever uses for bananas!
