Apple Cider Vinegar Is The Secret Ingredient For An Unbeatable Apple Pie

Despite possibly having roots across the pond, warm, sweet and spicy apple pie is an American classic regardless of season. And perhaps because it's one of the most popular desserts in the country's culinary canon, it may seem as if almost every family, restaurant, and chef has their own recipe, complete with highly classified secret ingredients and techniques. But there's a surprising addition you've probably been sleeping on if you're sticking to the same formula year after year, and it might just change the way you style your slices forever. Believe it or not, this critical ingredient is probably already in your cabinet. The mind-blowing modifier in question? Apple cider vinegar.

Even if it's a little hard to imagine this being the answer, it couldn't be easier to incorporate without overhauling your go-to recipe. Simply add about 2 teaspoons of this liquid gold to your recipe per pie, at the point when you sauté your apples for the filling. Then just complete your preferred recipe as per usual, but be prepared for an extraordinary outcome that'll change your dessert game forever.

Even though you may not know it, vinegar is probably a game changer for many of your favorite recipes. Acid plays an important role in cooking as it acts as a flavor enhancer in everything from super salads to perked up chili, cutting through richness and keeping the palate from becoming fatigued.

In an apple pie, vinegar gets a number of jobs done. First, it lifts the flavor of the apples and brightens, adding a punch to the cooked fruit. It also takes over for the commonly called for lemon juice, to balance the sweetness  and fill out the flavor. Additionally, apple cider vinegar happens to come along with a slew of health benefits; it helps to manage blood sugar, aids in digestion, and even promotes heart health, so you can have your pie and eat it, too.

This trick isn't exclusive to apples, either. Fruit and vinegar are perfect partners, and the marriage of sweet and tart flavors works well together in many ways. Imagine balsamic and strawberries, for example. You can take this technique and play with your favorite fruit pies and the many various types of vinegars, experiment in pursuit of your own pie perfection.

With this perfected vinegar apple pie filling as your base, you can take your slice to another stratosphere. Customizing your perfect apple pie could easily offer a lifetime of exciting options, with endless iterations that will make entertaining with flair as easy as pie.

Adding spices to your filling may be the most quick and easy upgrade, swapping the classic cinnamon for cumin, a chai spice blend, or even hot pepper for a surprising and delicious kick. Experiment with different combinations of apples, mix your apples with another fruit, like apricots or berries, or incorporate another of apple's favorite flavor pairings with an apple-fennel pie.

You can change up the topping and go Dutch with a crunchy crumble or lace salted caramel throughout for a riff on the iconic carnival treat. For a sweet and savory spin, opt for the controversial but classic cheddar cheese, or really pivot with parmesan apple pie, a favorite of Giada De Laurentiis. You can even reformat your apple pie into single serve hand pies,shareable square pie bars,or use your vinegar-spiked filling to transform standard-issue stuffed doughnuts. With so many potential culinary avenues, this trick is sweeter than it is sour.