From orchard to plate: apples and pears are that delicious
27 August 2026
There’s something special about the end of summer and the start of autumn. The orchards are laden with apples and pears, and the Dutch hard fruit season is getting into full swing. It’s a lovely time not just to eat an apple or a pear straight from the tree, but also to get creative in the kitchen with them.
Because apples and pears are much more versatile than you might think. Sweet, fresh, crisp or juicy: every variety has its own character. During the ‘Fruitiest Hard Fruit Days’, you can discover this for yourself in the orchard. And once you’re back home? Then you can turn your apples and pears into something delicious.
Apple or pear: which will you choose?
Apples come in all sorts of flavours and textures: from crisp and tart to softer and sweeter. You can eat apples raw, but you can also cook them and use them in all sorts of cold and hot dishes. Take the Elstar, for example. This apple, originally from the Netherlands, is juicy and crisp and has a fresh, sweet flavour. The Goudreinet, on the other hand, is sweet and tart and has softer flesh. This apple is best known for making apple sauce, but it also works well in juice, bakes and salads.
There’s also plenty of choice when it comes to pears. Broadly speaking, there are eating pears and cooking pears. Eating pears have juicy flesh and are delicious eaten straight away. Cooking pears are firmer and drier and really come into their own when cooked, for example in a compote.
Turning your harvest into something delicious
Brought a bag full of apples and pears back from the orchard? Then the second part of the fun begins at home. You could, of course, simply place the fruit on the fruit bowl, but apples and pears also lend themselves perfectly to surprising dishes. We’ve listed a few tasty ideas below.
Fresh and savoury: fennel salad with apple
Apples in a savoury dish? Absolutely. In this fennel and apple salad, green apple is combined with finely chopped fennel and a simple dressing of oil, mustard and lemon juice. The result is a fresh salad in which the apple adds a crunchy and fruity touch. The dish is ready to serve in 10 to 20 minutes.
Pears as a refreshing flavour enhancer: Chinese cabbage salad
Pears also work surprisingly well in savoury dishes. In this Chinese cabbage salad with pear, the pear is combined with Chinese cabbage, cucumber and a dressing containing lemon juice and honey, amongst other ingredients. Seroendeng adds an extra crunch. This salad is also ready in 10 to 20 minutes.
Apples and pears for breakfast
Can’t decide between an apple and a pear? Then why not have both? Discover a breakfast of yoghurt and pear granola, combining diced apple and pear. A simple breakfast that brings both of these favourite hard fruits together on the table.
Storing apples and pears the smart way
Have you stocked up after a visit to the orchard? Then naturally you’ll want to enjoy your fruit for as long as possible. With both apples and pears, it’s useful to know that cut or peeled fruit can quickly turn brown. A little lemon juice helps to prevent this discolouration.
And do look beyond the usual snack. Slices of pear with the skin on, for example, add a crunchy texture to a salad. Apples can be used in both cold and hot dishes. So a stock of apples and pears quickly becomes a great excuse to try out a few new recipes.