Burgers Aren't Just For Summer — One Ingredient Gives Them A Fall-Inspired Twist

Burgers are widely considered a summer staple: beef, cheese, pickles, maybe some bacon. However, great cooks know that breaking the rules often yields the best results, and fruits can be incorporated into many savory dishes. For example, prunes pair deliciously well with bacon in sandwiches, and strawberries can elevate a few savory meals. In a similar vein, adding apples to burgers is a great way to give your meal a fall-inspired twist. It's fun and changes how you think about balance in one of the world's best handheld meals.

Apples offer a few things most burger toppings don't, including crunch that holds up to heat, and subtle sweetness that enhances savory flavors. Tomatoes can be sloppy, and lettuce adds weight but little flavor, but apples hold their own in both taste and texture.

However, not all apples are created equal. Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples are ideal for incorporating into burgers. Honeycrisp offers a sweet, balanced crunch, and Granny Smith gives more tartness, perfect for balancing rich cheeses or fatty meats. The size of the apple pieces also matters. If they are too thin, they could disappear, and you will lose the crunch you're after. On the contrary, if they are too thick, they will overwhelm every bite you take. Apples are incredibly easy to come by, and even though they're mostly harvested during the fall season, they are now usually available year-round.

As long as you store your apples the right way, they can have a long shelf life. However, raw slices are just one of many options for your burgers. For instance, you can quick-pickle apple matchsticks in cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar for an acidic, sweet apple slaw that retains the acidity without being too heavy.

You can also sauté thin apple slices along with caramelized onions, so they soften but remain a bit crunchy, and create a sweet chutney that complements a strong cheddar or blue cheese. And if you really want to commit to the concept, grating apples into your burger patties themselves adds moisture and a subtle sweetness that works particularly well with turkey or pork.

But what if we try to get some of that delicious apple-y flavor into the burger bun itself? Try brushing your burger buns with some apple butter before you toast them; it will create a faint sweetness that carries through the whole sandwich without being sticky-sweet.  Altogether, when you add some apples to that burger, what you are doing is applying a tried and true principle in cooking: contrast. Sweetness makes all those savory flavors stick out even more. Furthermore, acidity brightens up the plate, and the tart taste adds a different layer of complexity to make sure every bite is interesting.