Quickly Pickle Apples to Make Them Very Sweet and Crunchy
My local grocery store still has many kinds of great apples, but fewer than a week ago, and even fewer than a month ago. Apple season is drawing to a close, folks, but you can extend it a little longer – or make the mediocre off-season apple flavor stand out – with a quick pickle.
It never occurred to me to pickle apples until a friend in the Midwest called me a philistine for never doing it. To be honest, it was fair because pickled apples are so good. Like most pickled foods, they are great for fatty, greasy, and salty foods. They are sweet and sour and slightly crunchy, making them a great addition to anything cheese contains. I enjoyed them in pepper and cheese sandwiches, and this action I call “the best decision I have made in a whole year.” There are many recipes for pickled apples, but I like to sweeten them with maple syrup ( idea I got from Food52 ) and season with juniper berries (idea I got from gin). Apparently vinegar is involved too. You can use white, but I find that red wine vinegar makes the pickle look nicer. To make them yourself, you will need:
- 1 glass of water
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- Ice bath installation
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 juniper berries
- 2 whole carnations
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 apple (this could be a good apple that you have an excess of, or it could be a soft apple that you want to taste better. Both are good options.)
Combine everything except the apple in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Remove from heat, let the brine cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl set inside another bowl filled with ice. While the brine is cooling, cut the apples into thin slices with a mandolin or knife. (I just take a whole apple and cut it horizontally with a mandolin, then cut the slices in half and cut the core.) Place the slices in a clean jar, pour the brine on top, then let cool in the refrigerator for a while. at least an hour. Pickled apples will last in the refrigerator for at least a week.