The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Photography: Jacqui Melville

Photography: Jacqui Melville

Clever tips for tricky apples

Iona Bower October 5, 2019

How not to be beaten by bobbing or tricked by a toffee apple this season


We love an apple, but they’ve been causing trouble for millennia, what with tempting innocent folk going about their business in the garden of Eden, causing discord among Greek Gods and all sorts of trouble in Norse legend, too. 

And even today, if you’ve ever tried bobbing for apples or munching on a toffee apple at this time of year you’ll know they can be tricky customers. Here’s The Simple Things’ guide to getting one over on apples this autumn.

How to eat a toffee apple

Here’s how to avoid a very sticky face, sugar in one’s hair and the risk of dropping your toffee apple on the floor and it rolling into the bonfire…. 

Etiquette dictates that one should cut a toffee apple into slices and, indeed, this is the way to eat one if you wish to eliminate all the above risks. Take a sharp knife and a plate and simply slice the apple and remove the core as you would any ordinary (non-toffeed) apple and eat it in bite-sized slices.

The Simple Things method: Open your mouth as wide as possible and take a huge bite at the first pass, showering yourself with shards of sugar, getting sticky bits in your hair and dicing with a trip to the dentist. Because where is the fun, and what on earth is the point otherwise, we ask you.


How to succeed at apple bobbing

Any activity that involves getting wet, probably outside, at the end of October should be undertaken in a wetsuit really. But assuming you’re going to wing it in civvies (or a Halloween costume) here’s how the pros think you should proceed.

Don’t just randomly grab at apples with your mouth. You’ll get very wet. You need to think strategically here and go for one of two methods. Either look for an apple floating right way up with a prominent stalk and try to catch the stalk between your teeth (don’t bother with this method if you have a significant overbite), or pick an apple you’re going for and push it up against the side of the bowl using the bowl as leverage in order to sink your teeth into the apple.

The Simple Things method: Come dressed as a witch in a black bin liner, so the top half of your body is essentially waterproof. Don a swimming cap and nose clip. Take a deep breath and plunge your head into the water, using the bottom of the bowl to push against to get your teeth into the apple. Remove swimming cap and witch bin liner and emerge victorious. 

If you’re making your own toffee apples for Halloween (or just because) you might like to try the recipe for the toffee apples on twigs (above) from Apple by James Rich (Hardie Grant). You can find the recipe on p71 of our October Create issue or buy it in the link below.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe


More from our October issue…

Featured
Pumpkin Beer Keg Jonathan Cherry.jpg
Oct 31, 2023
Make | a pumpkin beer keg
Oct 31, 2023
Oct 31, 2023
Back cover cartoon.jpg
Oct 22, 2019
October | a final thought
Oct 22, 2019
Oct 22, 2019
Spooky Stories Alamy.jpg
Oct 19, 2019
Build your own spooky story
Oct 19, 2019
Oct 19, 2019

More apple activities…

Featured
Apple Rose Cake Rebecca Lewis.jpg
Sep 28, 2024
Recipe | Apple & Cinnamon Rose Cake
Sep 28, 2024
Sep 28, 2024
Bobbing Apples Cake.jpg
Oct 7, 2023
Recipe | Bobbing Apples Cake
Oct 7, 2023
Oct 7, 2023
Apple cake Gathering.JPG
Mar 4, 2023
Recipe | Apple Cake Bake
Mar 4, 2023
Mar 4, 2023



InEating Tagsissue 88, apples, apple, toffee apple, autumn, bonfire night, halloween
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  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

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See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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