Frying apples is an underrated way of preparing these fruits. Part of the hesitancy to do so might be because it typically involves a hands-on method that requires your attention at the stove. Typically, a recipe like warm spiced Southern fried apples is made by stirring the sliced fruits, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract in a skillet until they get sweet and gooey. But if you want to enjoy a rich treat after work without putting in much effort to make it, switch to a slow cooker instead.
Essentially, all you have to do here is cut your fruit and dump it in the device, along with the rest of your ingredients. Your house will be pumped full of heavenly autumn smells, which can last all day if you fry your apples on low, or just a few hours if you want them quicker. If you’re aiming for a mass quantity of fried apples, this is one of the absolute best uses for your slow cooker and is also an easy way to accomplish this without getting your hands too dirty. As a bonus, they’ll have hours and hours to simmer in all their delicious juices.
Slice, toss, and simmer your apples
For the best spiced Southern fried apples, choose a tart variety that’s on the sturdier side, such as Pink Ladies. Because they’ll be spending so many hours in the slow cooker, a softer type may end up too mushy by the time you pull out the slices and due to all the extra sugary ingredients involved, a tarter apple will provide a welcome balance. If you’re running short on time, you don’t have to peel your apple slices here, since they’ll have enough time in the device for their skins to soften — although if you’d prefer to do so, go right ahead.
Along with the aforementioned ingredients, you can also add a dash of lemon juice into your slow cooker to round out the dessert’s flavor or a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch to make a thicker final product (think of a consistency more like pie filling). There’s no need to melt your butter ahead of time, simply add pats into the pot and stir everything together before you cook. If you’re hoping to devour your apples within the near future, you can set your device to high for two hours.
However, if you don’t mind letting them simmer all day, turn it to low for about six hours. If you go with the latter, make sure you give them a quick stir at least once, which is essentially all the work you’ll need to do to make this tasty treat.
