You can get some pretty good apples right now, but sometimes even the most beautiful, promising looking crisp fall fruits can be a little too tart or a little too bland. This is, without a doubt, very disappointing, but don’t let it ruin your day. All your ho-hum apple needs is a sprinkling of salt.
Apples with salt was a standard childhood snack of mine. My grandmother would take super sour, one-note Granny Smiths, cut them into slices, and sprinkle them with plain table salt (she also put salt on cantaloupe), giving them a bit more dimension and flavor. I now know that salt doesn’t just make things salty; it suppresses bitter flavors and enhances sweetness, but at the time I just knew that I liked those salty apples. These days, I wield the seasoning a little more judiciously—and opt for fancy Maldon—and save the salt for lackluster fruit that needs a little help in the flavor department (including crazy tart Grannies).