How to Peel an Apple: 3 Methods for Peeling Apples

To peel a whole apple with a knife, grab a sharp paring knife. Holding the apple firmly in one hand, press the sharp edge of the knife against the apple skin near the top of the apple (the stem end). Keep the knife steady and slowly turn the apple clockwise to make the skin peel off like a ribbon. When you reach the bottom of the apple (the blossom end) use the knife to clean up any spots you may have missed.

Once your peeling is complete, you can remove the center of the apple with either an apple corer or by cutting the apple in quarters and slicing out each core section with a crescent-shaped cut. You can then easily create uniform apple slices for all sorts of purposes, such as homemade apple pie or apple cobbler. You can also scoop out pieces of apple with a melon baller for a fruit salad or use a chef’s knife to chop your apple into cubes for an oatmeal topping.

To peel an apple with a vegetable peeler, select the same standard Y-shaped peeler you would use for veggies like cucumbers and carrots. Holding the whole apple in your hand, or pressed down against a cutting board, bring the peeler downward in straight, consistent strokes. This method can be faster than peeling with a knife, but you may still need that knife to core apples or to brush up your work. Toss the leftover peels in a compost bin or incorporate them into a fruit smoothie.

Home chefs have developed an amazing DIY hack for rapidly removing apple skin—a power drill. The trick is to skewer an apple onto a flat drill bit. When you turn on the drill, the apple will start spinning rapidly. As it does, press a Y-shaped vegetable peeler against it and watch the skin fly off. Prepare for apple skin to land all over your countertop (or do this over the sink for an easier clean-up).

The power drill method is efficient for getting through many bushels of apples, such as when you are making homemade applesauce or trying to stew many pounds of apples that you brought back from an apple-picking expedition. Take note, however, to only use the drill method with a vegetable peeler and never a knife. A mishap could send your tool flying, and a flying apple peeler is far less likely to cause harm than a flying knife.

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