There is something cheerful about looking forward to apple season. Perhaps it is the way apples begin appearing in great abundance at the farmers market and grocery store. There is also a return of apple muffins, apple crisp, warm cider, and little bowls of fruit sitting on the kitchen counter. And apples just seem to belong to the happy beginning of autumn.

While we may all have a familiar favorite, apple season is the perfect time to try something new.

This year, instead of bringing home just one variety, why not choose several? A bag of Honeycrisp, a few Gala apples, something tart and green, a beautifully rosy Pink Lady, or any other interesting varieties that happen to catch our eye can become the beginning of a very simple family tradition.

Gather a Little Apple Collection

Choose four or five different kinds of apples. They certainly do not need to be fancy or unusual! Part of the fun is simply discovering the differences between apples we may already see every day. Set them out on the table and admire all the different colors. Some are bright green. Some are pale yellow. Others are deep red, rosy pink, or striped with several shades at once.

Before slicing them, let everyone make a prediction:

Which one looks the sweetest?

Which one looks the crunchiest?

Which one would make the best pie?

And which one does everyone think will become the family favorite?

Slice, Taste, and Compare

Wash the apples, slice them into little wedges, and place each variety on its own plate or board. A simple handwritten label beside each one makes the whole experience feel a little more official.

Then comes the very important work of tasting. Some apples may be wonderfully sweet. Others may be crisp and tart. One child may immediately choose the green apple while another may wrinkle his nose and reach for the sweetest slice on the table.

And that is part of what makes it so fun: there really may be an apple for everyone.

We can encourage everyone to notice the differences.

Which apple is the crunchiest?

Which one is the sweetest?

Which one is the juiciest?

Which one would we like in a lunchbox?

Which one would we use for applesauce?

Which one would we most like to turn into an apple crisp?

Have Everyone Vote

After the tasting is finished, let everyone vote for a favorite. There could be one official winner, or perhaps everyone chooses a completely different apple. A little chart on a piece of paper can make the voting extra fun. Write down each variety and add a mark beside the winner of each family member’s vote.

There is no need to make it complicated. This does not have to be a serious taste test. It is simply an excuse to sit together around the table, eat a few apple slices, and laugh about everyone’s surprisingly strong opinions. Because apparently, when given the opportunity, families can have very passionate feelings about apples.

A Small Tradition for the Beginning of Autumn

What is especially lovely about this little tradition is that it does not require a big outing, elaborate preparation, or an entire afternoon. We can do it after school. We can do it on a Saturday morning. We can do it as a little Sunday afternoon snack. We can make it part of welcoming the first real signs of autumn.

There is something special about little things that are simple enough to actually become traditions. They do not ask much of us. They simply return each year, familiar and happy, giving us another small reason to gather around the table.

Perhaps our family will discover a new favorite apple this year. Perhaps everyone will vote exactly as they did last year. Either way, there will be apple slices disappearing from the plate, conversations happening around the table, and a few sweet moments tucked into an ordinary day. And that feels like a very good way to welcome the season.

A Little Family Challenge

Next time we bring home apples, let us try several varieties instead of just one. Set them out, slice them up, taste them together, and let everyone vote. We may discover that our family has a new favorite. Or we may simply discover that choosing a favorite apple is much harder than we expected.

Either way, there will be apples to eat, and that sounds like a wonderful beginning to autumn!