Apple Slices Recipe {Chicago Bakery Style Apple Squares} (2024)

FAQs

What is the best apple for apple slices? ›

Fuji has a sweet flavor and incredibly crisp texture that makes it perfect for slicing. It adds a great crunch to salads and sides. Gala has thin skin and tender flesh that allows it to add a tang to salads without leaving stringy skin behind. Honeycrisp is an all-star apple.

Refrigerate the crust-lined pie pan. Slice the 6 to 8 apples into 1/4 inch thick slices, until you have 6 cups. Then place them in a colander and dress the apple slices with the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Place the colander in a large sauce pan.

Your cut and sliced apples should be stored in resealable bags or airtight containers, then stored in the refrigerator for three to five days. Left untreated, the cut surfaces of the apples will begin to turn brown very soon after slicing. Before refrigerating, take a few extra minutes to prevent apples from browning.

Any type of citrus juice—lemon, lime, or orange juice—will work here; pineapple juice will do the trick too. These fruit juices contain citric acid, which slows the chemical reaction and prevents browning. (You can also sprinkle the fruit with powdered citric acid, but it may leave a strong sour flavor.)

Which apples bake best? For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

The longer the enzyme is exposed, the browner each slice will become. Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is a natural anti-oxidant. Therefore, when you apply lemon juice to apple slices, it helps to prevent the oxidation process.

If you want your apple slices to stay fresh looking for longer, one trick is adding some lemon juice or vinegar before placing the sliced fruit in an airtight container. The acid helps prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.

The milk and water covered apple slices will brown as these liquids don't have any acidity to prevent the process of oxidation. You can take the apple slice experiment one step further with your students. Eventually, the apple slice, with the lemon juice, will fully absorb the lemon juice and start to brown.

When apples are cooked, this pectin breaks down, and the apples turn mushy. However, there are ways to control this pectin breakdown, helping you to ensure that your apple slices are tender, but still hold their shape in the pie. The easiest first step is to pick the right apple.

How many apples do I need for 10 cups of sliced apples? ›

According to this equivalent list, 10 cups of sliced apples requires 10 medium apples. To be on the safe side, buy one additional apple. You don't want to run short—after all, it's always better to have too many ingredients than too few!

Packaged apples found at McDonalds or in your local produce section are usually treated with a solution of calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C) or citric acid (found in citrus fruit) to maintain freshness and color. Both are very safe to use on fruit that will be consumed.

"They can last six to eight weeks stored in a refrigerator," says Wortz. Scheck notes that if your room temperature is on the warm side, the refrigerator is ideal for storing apples for any amount of time. The countertop is an option for shorter storage; apples can last one to two weeks there.

If you're storing sliced apples in a plastic container or baggie where there's no way for any residual moisture to evaporate out of them, then those slices will dry out quickly, which will cause them to turn brown.

“With the current sliced apple products sold at McDonald's, they use a lot of Gala and Empire apples, which we grow a lot of here in New York,” Gregg said. Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission (WAC), said the apples would have to come from U.S. growers.

The best apples for apple pie that are widely available include Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Others to look for at your local market that will be excellent in apple pie are Cortland, Crispin, Ida Reds, Jonagold, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Pink Lady, Rome and Winesap.

If you're looking to increase your vitamin C intake, try a Pink Lady or McIntosh apple, Crumble Smith says. If fiber is what you seek, go for a Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. Across the board with apples one thing's for sure, Crumble Smith says, eat them raw and unpeeled.