Flavour of the Month

Get the kids cooking and crunching on Aussie Apples

Peel, chop and stir….. three easy to steps to get kids cooking in the kitchen with Aussie apples! And you never know, you might just be nurturing the next celebrity chef in your family!

Whether they are green or red, medium or small – apples are a versatile ingredient in lunch boxes and kitchens throughout Australia.

There are plenty of kitchen jobs kids of all ages can manage to help create luscious apple dishes - peeling and slicing apples, mixing the ingredients for muffins, cakes, pies and crumbles, or simply washing the fruit ready for preparation.

Marketing Manager for Horticulture Australia Ltd, Howard Moxham, says children enjoy taking ownership of a meal and getting their hands dirty, rather than just setting the table or cleaning up afterwards.

"Our lifestyles are so busy that we often lose sight of opportunities to encourage children to help out in the kitchen," he said. "But why not give them some responsibility with the meal preparation – it’s a challenge and helps them appreciate the joys of creative cooking."

Australian Apple grower Gordon Johns, from Top Line Fruit in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, has four children and knows first hand the best ways to get kids eating more apples.

"Using a corer is a simple way to cut the fruit into bite size pieces for small children to munch on," he said. "A whole apple can be a bit daunting to small children – so cutting the fruit up encourages them to eat apples as a nutritious between-meal snack.

"Another idea is to sprinkle lemon juice over a sliced apple in the school lunch box – the lemon stops the apples discolouring and keeps them looking fresh and juicy.

"Having the children in the kitchen while you’re cooking also is a great way for a family to spend time together. There may be a bit more mess in the kitchen, but there are always plenty of laughs along the way. That makes it all worthwhile," Mr Johns said.

A dessert such as warm apple and passionfruit with coconut crumble is a great recipe that the children will enjoy making.

It’s a simple recipe that doesn’t require too many ingredients and tastes sensational with a scoop of ice cream on a cool evening.

Check out www.aapga.com.au for more fabulous recipes and handy hints.

For some great apple recipes, Click Here!

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