There are so many varieties of wonderful beautiful apples this time of year, don’t you think? And usually, since our own tree stopped producing about 3 weeks ago, we buy the same type of apple at the grocery store and just stick with it all through the winter. But last week, I noticed that there were 8… 8 (!) different varieties that all looked so wonderful. So I chose four varieties and tucked an idea up my sleeve for later.
Part of raising kids is teaching them to eat well. Part of teaching them to eat well is introducing them to a variety of foods, as well as a variety of tastes, textures, and subtle differences in the same food. Enter the apple taste test.
The idea is to present several apples, each with distinct flavors and textures, remove the skin to make the taste test truly blind, and encourage slow eating and experiencing food in a deliberate way. Here’s how we did our taste test:
Place the apples in a row and remove their stickers, placing each sticker behind the apple. This way you can keep track of each variety after you peel the slice you will use.
Next, Cut a wedge out of each apple and remove the skin from the wedge (we placed the rest of each apple into a plastic baggie and back in the refrigerator for later). Cut the wedge into several pieces and place the corresponding pieces in front of each sticker to keep track.
This next step is optional. I used toothpicks and washi tape to make little flags for the boys’ apple bites (Milo got the black and white flags, while Oliver knew that the blue flagged bites belonged to him).
I also made an extra bite so I could do the test with them to encourage description of the flavors and textures. On these bites, I placed a sticker to symbolize each apple (F for Fuji; R for Red Delicious; H for Honey Crisp; G for Granny Smith). Then, when the boys weren’t looking, I mixed up the order of the apple slices so they would not know what they were tasting.
Let the tasting begin!
Remember to prep your kids on the fact that a taste test is not a race. In fact, I told them ahead of time that we would be talking about each apple taste, so we would eat them together, then move on to the next together.
Discussing his first two tastes and which he preferred
That one was tart! (Granny Smith)
It was interesting! They both took this job very seriously and took their time tasting. Milo’s favorite was the Honey Crisp, and Oliver’s was a tie between the Granny Smith (he eats lemons— no surprise there!) and the Honey Crisp. No one really cared for Red Delicious, which is funny because, you know, the name is just trying waaaaay too hard if you ask me.
After the taste test, I cut up the rest of each boy’s favorite apple, and they enjoyed it with dinner. All in all, a success!
Happy Tasting!
I think it’s so important that kids try new things. We have an apple orchard close by and they let you try the different varieties, so every time we go the kids test them all out. (And the red delicious never, ever wins.)
Awesome idea! I can’t wait until our kid(s) are old enough to do these sorts of things. I feel like I’ll come back to your blog to browse around for ideas when that day comes. And hey, who really does like red delicious? So many better apples, smart boys! 🙂
So cool, I think I would like doing this, I probably don’t realize which apples I am picking for the color versus the taste. Wyatt has just started eating whole apples and it’s heaven because it will keep him occupied for a good chunk of time. Of course last week he ate straight through the core when I wasn’t paying attention… hope those seeds don’t sprout in his belly 🙂
How cute 🙂 My little guy loves apples, I should try doing this with him
So here’s what I think. Gus is too young for a lot of these activities but I love them and I *try* to make mental notes so I can pull this stuff out when he’s ready…but what if you just made it easier for me and wrote a book? Yeah?
Other fun ones to try in the future:
• Spartans- tasty, and so crunchy that they’re alarmingly loud when you bite into them.
• Jazz- very flavorful, with some complexity, and supposedly the closest thing to Thomas Jefferson’s rare favorite, the Spitzenburg.
• McIntosh – easy to find, delicious flavor, bright white flesh, and the mascot for a computer empire.
http://www.orangepippin.com/apples <– this site makes me want to try a hundred more varieties.
I know, I'm an apple freak.
one of my favorite seasonal pastimes! we do this with my pre-school class and they love it!
What a sweet and fun idea – I’ll have to remember this.
Another to add to the list: Pink Pearl.
holy moley: http://www.thekitchn.com/seasonal-spotlight-pink-pearl-154848
Oh my lordy, Elisa! Where do you find these apples? That looks amazing!!!
P.s.- Come visit us soon! 🙂
This is a seriously awesome idea, Lauren. I’ll definitely save this one for a rainy day! Your kids look so cute too.
Ronnie xo
I love the idea of teaching them to slowly eat their food and get a feel for all the flavors instead of just gobbling it down right away. Such a great start to a lifetime of mindful eating.
And Red Delicious is such a lie. I used to have them in my lunches when I was little, and they are the least flavorful apple ever. Red Lackluster should be the real name.
This makes me look forward to my family when they get just a wee bit older. Watching Frankie grow has been such a blessing, but it will be nice to do “apple taste tests”. For now it is lots of screaming and pleading. The boys Are so handsome and growing so fast. Enjoy it everyone. Before we know it they will be in HS!?!? What????
Thank doesn’t make us older, right?
What an awesome idea! Now that I think of it, red apples are never really that good, though I think that’s what I ate growing up. We usually get Golden Delicious! They’re mild but sweet! Yum yum. Now I want to make an apple crisp…