Why wait for next fall, when caramel apples are a well-deserved winter comfort food?

We love caramel apples, so we didn’t hesitate to adapt this recipe (photo #1) from Produce For Kids, switching the pears for crunchy apples and using warm caramel.

There are two ways to enjoy this recipe: our way, with warm, drippy caramel; and Produce For Kids’ neater technique, which hardens the caramel before serving the snack/dessert to kids.

No sticks required!
 
RECIPE: CARAMEL APPLES, CARAMEL PEARS

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation #1: Quick Prep

With warm, drippy caramel, this variation is messier to eat…but perhaps more fun.

1. MICROWAVE the jar of caramel sauce for 45 seconds. Check consistency and microwave for another few seconds to liquefy as desired.

2a. PLACE on a plate with the fruit wedges and a ramekin of chopped nuts. Dip a wedge in the caramel, then in the nuts. Eat and repeat. Or…

2b. Place the wedges on a plate and pour the caramel over them, then sprinkle the nuts. You may want to spear them with a fork; and keep a supply of napkins near.
 
Preparation #2: Ready To Eat

[2] Here’s a recipe for homemade caramel sauce, from She Knows.

2. FREEZE for at least 30 minutes to harden the caramel. Bring the plate to the table.

[1] Citrus: the jewels of winter fruit (photo © Heather Gill | Wesual | Unsplash).

[2] Mixed citrus slices, garnishes for beverages and plated foods (photo © Edgar Castrejon | Unsplash).

[3] Citron, one of the three original citrus fruits (along with mandarin orange and pomelo) from which all other citrus was bred (photo courtesy San Pellegrino Fruit Beverages).

[4] Pomelo, an ancestor of grapefruit (photos © #4 and #7 Good Eggs).

[5] Winter salad of mixed citrus, arugula and ricotta salata. Here’s the recipe from Saveur.

[6] Kumquats are another winter citrus. They were historically their own genus (Citrus fortunella) with multiple species, but today they are often classified as Citrus japonica. There are also related hybrids† (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

Through Mother Nature and breeding by mankind, some plants and animals have grown larger and larger over time. Big beefsteak tomatoes evolved from a fruit the size of a cherry tomato; the original pig was the size of a cat.

The large citrus fruits of today evolved over millions of years from small, edible berries. Their origin is believed to be either southeastern Asia or Australia [source].

The three original species in the citrus genus—citron (photo #1), mandarins and pomelo/pummelo—have been hybridized into most of the modern commercial citrus fruits we know.

Within the last few thousand years, all common citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemons, limes, sweet oranges, etc.) were created by crossing those original species.

> The year’s 40+ citrus holidays are below.

> The history of grapefruits.

> The history of lemons.

> The history of limes.

> The history of oranges.

> The history of mandarins.

> The difference between mandarins and oranges.

> The different types of lemons: a photo glossary.

> The different types of limes: a photo glossary.
 
 
CELEBRATE WINTER CITRUS

The winter months deliver certain varieties of citrus that aren’t available in other seasons.

Blood oranges, cara cara oranges and ruby red grapefruit are among our favorite fruits. Here, from Good Eggs of San Francisco, are the California-grown fruits you should add to your shopping cart.

You can enjoy these beauties in:

 
 
A NOTE ABOUT MANDARINS

Just as blood, cara cara and navel are different varieties of sweet oranges in the citrus genus (Citrus × sinensis), mandarins are a separate species.

Mandarins (Citrus reticulata) are loose-skinned fruits with segments that separate easily. Some of the better-known varieties are clementines, dancys, minneolas, tangerines and satsumas.

While many people call them mandarin oranges—erroneously combine both species—the correct name is mandarin or mandarins.

Think of them as cousins to oranges; and think of clementines, tangerines, satsumas and other mandarins as siblings.
 
 
MEET THE CITRUS

[7] Major types of U.S. citrus.

 
 
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*Hand fruit is the industry term for fruit that can be eaten from the hand: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc. Fruits that are not hand fruit: coconuts, cranberries, melons, pineapples, quinces, etc.

†Though not strictly Citrus japonica, many hybrids with kumquats exist including calamondin (mandarin x kumquat), limequat (lime × kumquat), orangequat (orange × kumquat), and yuzuquat (yuzu × kumquat).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Brighten up winter meals with splashes of color.

You can do that with sides like beets, red cabbage slaw and winter squash. But you can also employ colorful garnishes and condiments.

Green garnishes like parsley and mint have been used for…centuries? millennia?

Here are brighter recommendations in orange, red and yellow:

 
 
We know there are other options out there, so feel free to add to this list!

[2] A line of sauce droplets on the left and piment d’espelette on the right.<
[2] A plain brown sausage enlivened with a mustard zigzag, chile sauce and shishito peppers (photo courtesy Pain d’Avignon).