The 2 Best Methods For Coring Apples Without A Gadget

As the autumn season rolls around, one feature of harvest and holiday tradition remains consistent: an outing to the apple orchard. Apple picking is a time-honored tradition in America, especially in the Northeast. According to Timeline, in 1899, New Hampshire made $6.6 million from apple picking agritourism. This tradition has continued to modern times, and agritourism is now a nationwide billion-dollar industry. So, once September rolls around and pumpkin-spiced lattes and fresh apple ciders hit coffee shops, apple orchards all over the nation open their gates and brace for the flocks of people who wish to have that classic autumnal experience.

When the apple pickers get home, often with more fruit than they anticipated, they get to work making apple butter, pies, sauces, tarts, crumbles, and more. Apples are completely edible from the skin to seed, but that doesn't mean we want to eat every part of them. The core contains bitter-tasting seeds and it is slightly tougher than the surrounding flesh, so people rarely choose to eat it (via Medical News Today). The most common way to core an apple is to use a coring tool, however, there are ways to remove the center of an apple using only a knife.

Before you pick up your knife and just start chopping, you must identify what you are planning on using your apples for. Are they going to be stuffed apples? Do you need to keep the fruit whole, or will you be slicing the apples for your favorite fall recipe?

If you want to keep your apple whole for stuffing, you'll need a paring knife and a spoon. Kitchn recommends that when it is time to hollow out your fruit, start by removing a ¼-inch slice from the bottom. Then, turn your apple upside down so that the wide top is now the base. Next, use your knife to cut around the core and remove it from the inside of the apple without piercing the bottom. If your cut was not thorough enough, grab your spoon and scrape away at the flesh. 

Another way to core your apple takes a little more precision. Real Simple advises standing your apple upright and making an incision ¼-inch from the stem using a paring knife. Next, push the knife straight down to the bottom of the apple. Then, carefully cut in a circular motion around the core. Once you've cut all the way around, you can simply remove the core with your fingers. And there you have it. So long as you have a sharp knife, you don't need to go out and buy an apple corer, you have everything you need at home.