There are still many types of wonderful apples at my local grocery store, but there are fewer than there were the week before, and even fewer than there were a month ago. Apple season is drawing to a close, friends, but you can make it last a bit longer — or make a mediocre out-of-season apple taste outstanding—with a quick pickle.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/12/the-best-apples-ranked/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/trmtxla2s7exzidnbfzd.jpg” title=”The Best Apples, Ranked” excerpt=”We all have opinions on the best apples, but these are the correct opinions. My qualifications: I have eaten a lot of apples. I’ve been lucky enough to taste antique varieties of apples and experimental research varieties of apples. If you would like to know the best grocery store apples, I can tell you about them. If you want the truly best apples, these are harder to find, but I can tell you which ones to look for.”]
It didn’t occur to me that apples were a thing that should be pickled until a Midwest friend called me a philistine for never having done so. Honestly, this was fair, because pickled apples are extremely good. Like most pickled things, they’re excellent partners for rich, fatty, salty foods.
They’re sour and sweet and provide a bit of crunch, which makes them a nice addition to anything with cheese in it. I have been enjoying them in pimento cheese sandwiches, an act I am referring to as “the best decision I’ve made all year.” There are many recipes out there for pickled apples, but I like to sweeten them with maple syrup (an idea I got from Food52) and season them with juniper berries (an idea I got from gin).
Obviously vinegar is also involved. You can use white, but I find red wine vinegar makes for a prettier pickle. To make them yourself, you will need:
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1 cup water
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1 cup red wine vinegar
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An ice bath set up
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1/2 cup maple syrup
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1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
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5 juniper berries
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2 whole cloves
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1 cinnamon stick
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1 bay leaf
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1 apple (It could be a good apple you have an excess of, or it could be a bland apple you want to make taste better. Both are good options.)
Combine everything but the apple in a sauce pan and heat it to just boiling. Remove from the heat, let the brine cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl set inside another bowl that has been filled with ice. While the brine is cooling, slice the apples thinly with a mandoline or knife.
(I just grab the whole apple and slice it horizontally using my mandoline, then cut those slices in half and cut out the core.)
Place the slices in a clean jar, pour the brine on top, then let everything chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Pickled apples will keep at least a week in the refrigerator.
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