Vegetables are delicious pickled, but so are fruits. Think sweet fruit in a spicy and tart marinade.

This recipe for pickled apples, to celebrate National Apple Week, came to us from U.S. Apple.

According to A Healthier Michigan, the first full week in August is National Apple Week.

We can’t find other references for this holiday; but we didn’t want to wait for October to share this recipe (National Apple Month is October and National Apple Day is October 21st).

While a year-round relish, it goes well with grilled foods and other summer fare.

Never heard of pickled apples?

Jim Bair, president and CEO of U.S. Apple, the trade association of the apple industry, had mentioned that his grandmother’s pickled apples were a childhood favorite. They “were on the table at every meal,” he said.

Alas, Jim didn’t have a copy of the recipe, but Chef Dave Martin made a fairly good copycat, and Bair gave it his seal of approval.

 
 
RECIPE: SWEET & SASSY PICKED APPLES

Ingredients For 8-12 Servings

 
Preparation

1. BRING to a boil in a medium saucepan, the vinegar, sugars, salt, cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla and peppercorns. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the apples and return to a boil.

2. TURN the heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes, until a paring knife inserted in center of apple meets a slight resistance. Stir in the dried cherries. Transfer to bowl and let cool.

3. COVER and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve or at room temperature. Stored for up to one month in fridge.
 
 
WAYS TO SERVE PICKLED APPLES

Tangy pickled apples are a counterpoint to rich dishes, and:

 
 
> The History Of Apples

[1] Spiced apples, a great everyday relish or condiment (photo © U.S. Apple).

[2] Use apple cider vinegar to pickle fruits (photo © Heinz).

[3] Star anise, a great pickling spice, is harvested from an evergreen tree that is native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China (photo © Mareefe | Pexels).

[4] Cinnamon sticks—and a vanilla bean (photo © Daria Shevtsova | Pexels).

[1] S’mores Ice Cream Pie (photos #1 and #2 © Completely Delicious).

[2] A slice of the pie.

[3] S’mores popcorn and and 16 more S’mores recipes are a the right (photo © Valerie’s Home Cooking Book).

[4] How about S’mores Waffles? The recipe and 16 more are to the right (photo © Posie Harwood | King Arthur Flour).

National S’mores Day is August 10th. Take advantage of the weekend to make a scrumptious S’mores Ice Cream Pie.

This recipe, from Annalise of Completely Delicious, was sent to us by Go Bold With Butter.

There are 17 more variations on S’mores below.
 
 
RECIPE: S’MORES ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients For The Crust

 
Ingredients For The Filling

 
Ingredients For The Topping

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, salt and butter and press into a 9-inch pie dish. Put in the freezer while you prepare the filling. (For a frozen pie, this is a better option than baking and cooling the crust.)

2. MAKE the filling. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow cream until smooth. With an electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream to medium peaks. Gently fold into the marshmallow mixture.

3. SPOON the filling into the pie dish. Depending on how deep your dish is, you may not need all of the filling. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

4. SPREAD the fudge sauce over the top of the pie and freeze until the pie is completely firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve…

5. TOP with the mini marshmallows and graham cracker pieces. For easier slicing, dip a sharp knife into hot water and wipe dry with a towel in between cuts.
 
 
MORE S’MORES RECIPES

Here are some s’mores recipes with twists that we’ve published, just a smattering of the thousands of s’mores recipes out there.

Of course, the classic graham cracker sandwich with toasted marshmallows and a piece of chocolate is perfect as is.

 
 
PLUS

*By far, Trader Joe’s graham crackers are the best. They come in a plastic box, not in a sleeve.

[1] Add your favorite ingredients to a summer panzanella. Here’s a recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen (photo © The Wanderlust Kitchen).

[2] Panzanella is a way to turn lush summer tomatoes into a bread-and-tomato salad (photo © Baldor Specialty Foods).

Panzanella, a traditional Tuscan salad of bread and tomatoes, is delicious way to use summer’s best produce and one- or two-day-old bread, which is softened by the vinaigrette.

Panzanella originated as peasant food, but can be found at fine modern Italian restaurants and at other stylish restaurants.

But you don’t need a restaurant. You need four main ingredient types, plus whatever extras you like:

 
To turn panzanella into a main dinner dish, add a burrata, slices of prosciutto or other Italian charcuterie, cubed grilled meats or poultry, shellfish, even jammy boiled eggs.
 
> The History Of Panzanella
 

MORE PANZANELLA RECIPES