A little reason to celebrate
National Apple Day
Food · Seasonal · October 21
National Apple Day is about the apple itself: its many varieties, its crisp autumn harvest and the pies, ciders and lunchbox snacks it ends up in.
National Apple Day falls on Thursday, October 21, 2027. That is 359 days away.
Apples grow on trees in orchards across the country, and they come in far more kinds than a grocery bin suggests. Some are sharp and green, some are honey sweet, and some are best left for baking because they turn soft and fragrant in the oven.
The fruit itself is simple. A thin skin, crisp white flesh, a core with a few small seeds. Bite one and you learn quickly whether it is a snacking apple or a pie apple. Tart varieties like Granny Smith hold their shape when cooked, while softer ones melt into applesauce.
Many people mark the day by eating an apple they have never tried before. Farmers markets and orchards often carry older or regional varieties with odd names and lumpy shapes, and they can taste nothing like the familiar red ones. Others bake, slicing apples thin for a pie or tossing chunks into a pan with butter and cinnamon. Cider, pressed from the fruit, shows up in jugs this time of year in plenty of towns.
Apples also keep well. Stored somewhere cool, they last for weeks, which is why they were a winter staple long before refrigerators. A cut apple browns fast once it meets the air, and a squeeze of lemon juice slows that down.
The seeds inside one apple rarely grow into a tree that tastes like its parent, which is why orchards graft their trees instead.
Ways to celebrate
- Try an apple variety you have never eaten before.
- Bake a simple apple crisp or a pan of baked apples.
- Visit a local orchard or farmers market to see what is in season.
- Make a small batch of applesauce on the stovetop.
- Do a side-by-side taste test of three different apples.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, October 21 |
| 2027 | Thursday, October 21 |
| 2028 | Saturday, October 21 |
| 2029 | Sunday, October 21 |
| 2030 | Monday, October 21 |
All national days on October 21
Also on October 21
Categories: Food daysSeasonal days