Easy Sautéed, Spiced Apple Chunks

I've mentioned making this many times, and I thought it was finally time I showed you what I mean by these. 

I picked more early apples this morning and managed to knock several off while doing so. I also found several apples on the ground under the tree that had been there for a couple of days. These apples were bruised but still mostly okay. I picked them up, washed, cut off bruises, and cut into chunks. I freeze the good chunks to use in sautéed apples. Today, since I was roasting a whole chicken, and it was a cool and cloudy day, I thought sautéed, spiced apples would be a nice side dish. So I used about half of the apple chunks tonight and froze the rest. 

To serve 4 adults, I use the chunks from about 5 or 6 fist-sized apples (small compared to grocery store apples). As you can see, I leave the skins on.

To make, heat a skillet with about 2 to 3 teaspoons of butter. Drop the apples in and sauté while stirring periodically. When soft but still hold their shape add some cinnamon and a teaspoon or two of sweetening, sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, whatever you like. The sweetening should just bring out the natural sweetness of the apples, not make them apple pie-like sweet.

I like to serve these warm. So if I make them early in the day, I will add a couple of tablespoons of water while I reheat them.

Each year I have enough apple chunks in the freezer from fallen or knocked apples to last us the winter. Bruised apples simply wouldn't keep in the fridge. But freezing the good parts (which is most of the apple) keeps them for many months. 

While it's still summer, here in the northern hemisphere, our cool and cloudy week brought to mind our family's fall festivities. I usually make sautéed apples using maple syrup to go with Thanksgiving dinner. They're always a big hit with our family.

An easy-peasy side dish that salvages fruit which might otherwise be tossed out.