Serves Four Children

Shopping for Apples

For a kids’ apple tasting, purchase apples with different colors, flavors, and textures, for example, McIntosh, Fuji, and Granny Smith. For a tasting for four children, you’ll need two of each variety, or half an apple per child. Make sure to choose firm, not dented, fruits.

Choose your accompaniments

Whole-wheat crackers are terrific partners to the apple slices. Have the kids sip some cool water in between samples. It’s fun to serve applesauce or apple cake afterwards.

Organize your Tasting

Set out three bowls or plates, each one representing a different variety of apple (for example, one bowl for Gala apples, another for McIntosh, etc). Don’t cut the apples up until the tasting in order to prevent them from turning brown. Slice one variety of apple at a time (make sure that the children do not handle the knives). Also, be sure to leave one of each type of apple intact so that everyone can evaluate its appearance. Cut each apple into eight slices, offering each child two of each variety.

Learn Your Palate

Tell the children to eat the crackers and sip the water in between trying the different apple varieties.

1. Pass around the first intact apple and ask everyone to observe and feel it. Have them describe its color, pattern, and texture.
2. Then, have them bite into one slice of apple and describe its flavor. Is the apple sour or sweet, for example?
3. Now, ask them to describe the texture of the flesh: is it soft and crumbly or is it crisp and firm? Is it juicy or dry?
4. Finally, ask them whether they like the apple. Would they want to eat it again?