Baking With Wild Apples and a Wild Apple Pie

Last Updated on February 14, 2020

Have you tried baking with wild apples? We have several wild apple trees in our neighborhood. They grow wild in the woods and fields around where I live. I have no idea what variety of apples they are. They aren’t well taken care of and I’m sure they’ve been there growing wild for years. No one uses the apples so I decided to save a few from the squirrels and make a wild apple pie.

Baking with Wild Apples

Baking with wild apples is a little bit different than baking with apples that come from trees that are cultivated. There are many different types of wild apple trees. You never know if they will be best for eating, applesauce or baking. The best thing to do is to pick a few apples and eat them as is.

Apples that are tart are often best for baking. If the flesh is soft, it would work best for applesauce. Apples with firm flesh make wonderful pies.

What are wild apples?

Because wild apples aren’t cultivated, they aren’t sprayed to keep bugs away. The apples aren’t pretty like the ones you find in the grocery store. They are often oddly shaped or have marks on them.  They are probably smaller in size than what you’re used to. You often find then on long winding country roads at the corner of farm properties.

Don’t let this stop you. Baking with wild apples is still worth doing. Try them in my apple granola crisp recipe.

Types of wild apples

There are so many different types of wild apples out there that it would be impossible to list them all. Basically, they are the forgotten heirloom varieties of apples that are in the genus Malus which has about 30-55 different varieties of apples. Here’s some information on the older varieties of apples.

What can I make with wild apples?

You can really use wild apples for just about anything you can use traditional apples from. Remember that they are more tart and not necessarily pretty. So while they taste just as good, they may look different. I usually enjoy baking with wild apples when I use them in apple pie, apple crisp, apple crumb, and apple muffins. Here are a few recipes that you can try.

• Apple rhubarb pie recipe
• Caramelized apple topping for ice cream
• Heirloom apple cake
• Apple cake recipe

Wild Apple Crumb Pie Recipe

I made a Wild Apple Crumb Pie recipe that we absolutely loved. Of course, it will work just as well if you don’t have apples from a wild apple tree. You can use apples that you get from the farmers’ market. Or, you can use apples you get from the grocery store. Baking with wild apples is a great choice when you have them.

Can I freeze the apples?

Sure! You can definitely freeze wild apples just as well as you can freeze regular apples. Just peel and core the apples and soak them in lemon juice for 5 minutes. Drain them and arrange them on a cookie sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Freeze them overnight. Then, remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a freezer bag. Be sure to write the date on the bag. You can keep them for up to a year in the freezer. I hope you’ll try baking with wild apples soon!

Yield: 8

Wild Apple Crumb Pie

Print

You will love this homemade apple pie made from wild apples!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 bottom pie crust
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (or less depending on sweetness of apples)
• 5 cups of wild apples, slice, peeled, cored, bad spots removed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Mix the 5 cups of apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.
3. Pour it into the pie shell.
   
4. 
5. In a different bowl, mix the 1/3 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup flour.
6. Cut in the butter until it resembles fine crumbs.
7. Sprinkle the topping over the apples in the pie crust.
8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 3gSugar: 27gProtein: 3g

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If you make this, tag me on Instagram so I can see (@ellenblogs)

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Ellen Christian

Ellen is a busy mom of a 22-year-old son and 27-year-old daughter. She owns 5 blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.