Apples can last for a few months at room temperatures, but keeping them in the fridge can extend their life even more. Overripe apples are not as pleasant to eat on their own because they have lost their crispness. Fortunately, overripe apples preserve most of their nutrients, although they lose some vitamin C with time, and provide about 116 calories, 30.8 g of carbs and 5.4 g of fiber per fruit. They can be used in baked goods and applesauce.
Apple Pie
Use overripe apples to make apple pie. Make your own pie crust or buy it already prepared at the grocery store. Avoid using shortening or select trans fat-free dough if buying it to keep these heart-damaging fats out of your diet. Use the sliced apples as the filling for your pie. If the skin of your apples is still in good shape, keep it, after washing your apples thoroughly, to increase the fiber content of your apple pie.
Apple Crisp
Put your diced overripe apples in a baking dish and top with a mixture of old-fashioned oats, whole grain flour, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Vary the proportions to get the consistency you like and bake in the oven about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Enjoy with a dollop of plain yogurt.
Apple Butter
Apple butter is similar to applesauce, but it is more concentrated. Use your overripe apples to prepare this spread for toast, oatmeal, yogurt or dip for fruits. Put apples with apple cider vinegar and cinnamon in a roasting pot and bake in the oven, uncovered, at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about three hours, stirring every half hour. You'll then blend the mixture to get the apple butter.
Applesauce
Prepare a large batch of applesauce and freeze the extra to use later. Keep the skin on your apples to make your applesauce higher in fiber and more nutritious. You can use a food processor if you want a very smooth applesauce. Don't add sweetener, because apples naturally contain sugar. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg if desired. You can use the applesauce to substitute fat in your favorite baked good recipes. For example, if you need 1 cup of vegetable oil in your muffin, replace it with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce to bake healthier low-fat muffin.
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