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6 Great Ways to Soften Your Apples

6 Great Ways to Soften Your Apples

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Sweet, healthy, easy to prep, and fun to eat—apples are amazing fruits and the ultimate snacks! 

You can enjoy them as they are, or serve them with your morning oatmeal, on top of pancakes, with yogurt, or along with delicious baked goods like pies, cobblers, cakes, and more. 

Apples are sweet without sugar, making them the perfect guilt-free treat to satisfy your cravings. These fruity favorites are loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, which can benefit adults and babies alike! 

One thing to note is that apples aren’t always going to be as tender as you would like them to be, whether they’re for baking or feeding to your little ones. 

Thankfully, there are a few super simple methods that you can use to soften them up! These recipes come together in minutes and work great as a snack, topping, side dish, or dessert. 

The fruity and flavorful possibilities are endless, so let’s get started!

1 – Microwave the Apples

Opening the Microwave

One of the quickest and easiest ways to soften up your apples is to pop them in the microwave for a minute or two. Use the High setting to ensure they’re as soft as can be.

This method works especially well if you’re softening these yummy fruits for your babies. Apple chunks can be a choking hazard, though, so don’t forget to thinly slice your apples to make them safer and easier for your little ones to nibble on.

Depending on the hardness of your apple and the heat of your microwave, it can take 1–3 minutes to soften the apples. For best results, check on them every 30 seconds until they reach your desired tenderness.

You can add 2 tablespoons of water to your microwave-safe dish for extra softness. Once the apples are done, sprinkle cinnamon or white sugar to turn them into a special treat!

Of course, you wouldn’t want to give hot apples to your baby, so you’ll need to let them cool down for a bit before serving and enjoying.

2 – Sautee the Apples on Your Stove

Frying Sliced Apples in a Pan

If sweet, syrupy, and buttery apples seem enticing to you, then you should soften your apples by sautéing them!

Along with some butter, simply add your sliced apples to a skillet on medium heat on your stovetop, and cook until tender. It’ll take around 6 to 7 minutes for you to do this.

Then, mix water and cornstarch until dissolved to pour over your apples. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon, boil for 2 minutes, cool, and serve!

There are plenty of other sautéed apple recipes that you can try out to find the one your taste buds love the most. Some of them even include adding nuts and raisins, if you prefer.

Sautéed apples are perfect for a special breakfast treat for your loved ones. They taste amazing with toast, pancakes, homemade waffles, and vanilla ice cream, too!

A simpler yet still delicious option is to stew the apples with sugar and water in a pan over medium heat. One good tip is to add a dash of lemon juice if your apples are too sweet.

3 – Boil the Apples

Boiling Apple Chunks in a Pot

With baked apples, you can have a warm and comforting snack, a sweet side dish for a savory meal, or a soft and yummy starting solid for your babies—it’s up to you!

You’ll need at least three ingredients: fresh apples, cinnamon, and coconut oil or butter. Be sure to pre-heat your oven, and slice your apples to your preferred thickness beforehand. 

Put your baking pan in your oven, with your choice of coconut oil or butter, before adding apples coated with cinnamon. Bake until the apples are tenderized to perfection.

If you have any leftovers, let them cool, and then store them in an airtight container in your fridge. You can also place them in a freezer bag in your freezer to preserve them better.

5 – Make Apple Filling

Are you in the mood for some thick, sweet, apple-flavored filling with your ice cream, cakes, pies, and other irresistible desserts? Then maybe it’s time to make this special treat!

Start by peeling, coring, and cutting your apples into slices. Stir butter, apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a skillet over medium heat, for 8 to 10 minutes. Wait until the apples are softened and the sugar is fully dissolved.

To thicken your filling, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and add it to the apple mixture. Add vanilla extract, remove from the heat, and allow to cool completely before serving.

There are countless ways to enjoy this tasty filling, from spooning it over snacks to baking it inside your pastries. So, try one and enjoy it!

6 – Allow the Apples to Ripen

Bowl of Apples on the Counter

Since apples are a “climacteric” fruit, they will continue to ripen even after picking. As time passes, these fruits will increase not only in sweetness but also in softness!

Just letting your apples sit in a bowl on your kitchen table will allow them to go through their natural ripening process. As they mature, their flesh will become more tender. 

You can feel the change in an apple’s firmness by applying pressure on the fruit with your thumb. Don’t leave them for too long, though, they might become overripe and start to rot. Check on them every other day or two to see where they’re in the ripening process.

Apples are a great fruit when it comes to ripening because they can help other fruits to ripen as well! They release high amounts of ethylene, a chemical that causes faster ripening. This is why you’ll see many people put apples near other fruits that they want to ripen.

Remember that if you don’t refrigerate your apples, they won’t last as long. You’ll want to store them in your crisper once they’re soft enough to eat. You get a lot more time to eat them when you refrigerate them, but they will ripen a bit faster when exposed to oxygen. 

Final Thoughts

Taking a Bite of an Apple

Eating soft, sweet, and succulent apples is a delight that you won’t want to miss out on. With these top tips and easy-peasy methods, you’ll never have to eat a hard apple again!

A quick and simple method to enjoy instantly softened apples would be to pop them in the microwave on the High setting for a couple of minutes. You can also sauté them under medium heat with butter, sugar, and cinnamon for an extra yummy flavor.

Boiling, baking, and making apple filling are other ways to transform apples into tender and tasty treats. If you have the time and patience, letting your apples ripen naturally is also a good way to take some of the hardness from it.

Whichever method you choose, the result will teach you that these vibrant red fruits are always healthy, delicious, and fun to eat!

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