How to core apples: from a simple knife to specialized devices
Apples are a healthy fruit traditionally grown in Russian orchards. They often require coring for cooking. This process is time-consuming, and you can use the traditional method—cutting it out with a knife—or speed it up with various tools. We'll explain which ones are available in more detail.
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How to core apples
Apples are used to make various preserves—purées, jams, confitures, sauces—and are used in meat dishes to add a piquant flavor. They are often used whole in compotes, but most dishes require removing the core (containing the seeds) and peel. This is most easily done by cutting the apple in half.
With a regular knife
The easiest way to remove the seeds is to use a regular kitchen knife. To do this, cut the apple in half and make 45-degree downward cuts through the core on both sides. Then seeds are easily removed from the fruit.
It's even easier to remove the core by cutting the fruit into four pieces - the center of each slice is cut off in one motion.
If you want to leave the apple whole, use a short, thin-bladed knife. Insert the knife, 0.5 cm from the center, parallel to the table, all the way through the apple, then carefully pull it out. Repeat this process several times, cutting out the center of the apple. Depending on the size of the fruit, you may end up with 4-5 cuts. Then insert the knife into one of the cuts and smoothly move it from the first to the second until the core is completely removed. Then remove the knife and carefully push out the cut portion.
Device for cleaning and cutting
The Apple Peeler makes it easy to peel, core, and cut apples (and many other fruits) if needed. It features a metal frame with a blade and a central rod, equipped with a suction cup for stability. The machine is equipped with multiple blades—peeling and cutting—as well as adjustable adjustments that allow you to adjust the cutting depth. This allows you to comfortably work with fruits of any diameter.
The device's operating principle is quite simple. After pressing the lever located next to the rotating handle, the main shaft retracts. The apple is placed on the sharp prongs (the same prongs allow for core removal). The cutting depth is then adjusted. As the handle rotates, the apple moves along the blade, peeling off the peel in a single strip. The blade then removes the core and slices the fruit into a spiral several millimeters wide. The core remains on the prongs, leaving clean, sliced fruit.
We cut out the core from one half, then from the other.
You can cut out the center of the fruit not only with a knife, but also with a simple teaspoon, ice cream scoop, or any kitchen utensil with a sharp edge. To do this, split the fruit in half, and use a spoon to scrape out the seed portion in one motion. Use a knife to trim the lower part of the center and remove the stem.
This method allows you to remove not only the core, but also scrape out some of the pulp, if necessary.
How to quickly core an apple without cutting it
If you need to core the apple whole, you can remove the core without cutting it. A special knife or apple slicer will do the trick. If you don't have one, a regular medical syringe will do.
With a special knife
A special knife is used to remove the core from the fruit, simplifying the process. It is rounded, with a point and a sharp (sometimes serrated) edge, and sometimes has an additional notch for peeling the skin.
To remove the apple core with this tool, simply insert it into the fruit, slightly away from the stem, and twist it around the core once or twice. Then remove the knife and pull the core out by the stem. If there is no stem, the apple's center can be easily squeezed out.
Various types of specialized peelers are available on the market. There are also options that feature a hollow cylinder with a sharpened bottom edge. This allows for the removal of the fruit's center in a single motion, without having to rotate the knife around the center of the fruit. It also removes the cut portion, making the peeling process significantly easier.
With an apple slicer
An apple slicer allows you to quickly cut and core an apple. It consists of a plastic handle with metal inserts in the middle. This device allows you to remove the center of the apple and cut the fruit into segments in one motion. However, a significant drawback is its limited size – it won't handle large apples, and with very small apples, it will lose a significant amount of pulp along with the core, since the diameter of the central hole is fixed and cannot be adjusted.
With a syringe
If you don't have any special equipment, you can use a simple medical syringe. Depending on the apple size, a 5 or 10 ml syringe will do. For particularly large apples, a larger 20 ml syringe is suitable.
To make this cleaning, you'll need the syringe itself with a plunger, a sharp knife, and scissors. The plunger is removed from the syringe, the top portion is cut off, and a cannula with a needle is attached to it. Then cut Trim with scissors and carefully cut small teeth on the resulting end. Return the piston to its place.
To make removing the center of the fruit easy, the teeth should be made as small as possible. A pair of small, sharp scissors or a thread cutter will be useful for this.
To remove the core, simply insert the resulting tool with the serrated side into the apple, pierce it through and slightly turn it clockwise, then remove it and push the core out with a piston.
So, the process of removing the core from an apple can be made quite simple and quick. Simple tools can speed up the process significantly, which is especially important when working with large pieces and the number of apples exceeds several. You can either make your own peeler or purchase a ready-made one.
