Savory or sweet, apples belong on pizza

It’s summer and the apple harvest will soon be plentiful. I have a special fondness for apples, growing up wandering my grandparents’ orchard. Today, I look out my office window, a small tree of pink lady apples glimmer in the heat. Growing pink ladies in the Louisville area is an experiment as these beauties like scorching hot temperatures, giving the fruit a concentration of sweetness. With our increasing heat, pink ladies, also called Cripps Pink, like the climate. I have a Pink Lady harvest at my disposal for simply eating straight off the tree. Pink ladies are great for baking as well.

In addition to Pink Lady, common apple varieties include:

• Red Delicious are best as a finishing topping and salads. The skin does not hold up well to the heat of a pizza oven.
• Granny Smith is tart in the best way. While you can use as a finishing ingredient, Granny Smith apples keep their shape while baking.
• Golden Delicious has the perfect mild and sweet flavor making the apple great for many applications, including sauces.
• Honey Crisp is a firm and juicy apple — great all-around for baking or post-bake options.
• Gala is a mild sweet apple that may break down under baking.
• Fuji is a late season apple that also is best as a post-bake option.
• McIntosh’s sweet, juicy and tart taste makes it one of the best all-purpose apples.
• Empire, like McIntosh, is a great all-purpose option.

Sourcing Apples for your Restaurant

You can source a variety of apples through your mainline distributor or retailer. If you are applying a local focus, you can source apples at the farmer’s market or direct from farmers. The best ways to find out who grows apples in your area is to reach out to your county’s extension office or a local growers association. There also may be a local food hub or local farm cooperative in your areas.

How to prevent apples from browning after cutting

Browning happens almost immediately when cutting apples.

Apples can be cored and sliced, diced or even ringed. As soon as you start cutting, you’ll notice the apples begin to brown. It is important to prevent browning while cutting. As you finish cutting apples, place them into a saltwater bath of ¼ teaspoon of salt for every 2 cups water for 10 minutes. You may have to test for the most desired ratio of salt to water. Then drain and store or use.

If you want to add a bit more zing to your apple flavor, try pickling in apple cider vinegar as Chris Decker suggested in his On Deck column: Pork Belly and Honey Crisp Apples Pizza.

Apple peel or no peel? Using apple peels is up to you. It’s a preference thing. There are certain applications where peeling isn’t beneficial, like an apple dessert pizza. For other applications, the peel can add variety to the look of the pizza.

Apple Recipes Across the Menu

If you do not currently have apples on the menu, let’s explore a few recipes to get the most out of your apple purchase and take it across the menu.

I’ll start with an appetizer that will both intrigue your customers and have them ordering the app over and over again. I’m talking about apple chips. The crunchy snack is a great way to warm the palate for pizza consumption. Apple chips are versatile. You can go savory, spicy or sweet. Go crazy and do all three. Here is a savory and spicy version. Be sure to try your own mix.

Spicy Apple Chips

Get the Spicy Apple Chips Recipe.

Before we get to the sweet apple dessert pizza that so many pizzerias are accustomed to, I want to let you in on the savory and sweet combination that makes a dynamite dinner pizza. Since we are located in Kentucky, I’m using country ham. It’s a drier, smoky and saltier ham than typical deli ham. You could also use pancetta here.

Country Ham & Apple Pizza

Get the Country Ham & Apple Pizza recipe.

This is a favorite dessert pizza on PizzaToday.com and for good reason. It brings all the delicious flavors of apple crisp to pizza. Try it today. You can even change it up with a little trick I learned from my mother to include some crushed Red Hot candies.

Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza

Get the Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza recipe.

Denise Greer is the Executive Editor of Pizza Today.