Let’s be clear. Are apple fries healthy? Probably not. But will you feel less guilty about eating them than you would about eating most other desserts offered at The Big E? Most likely yes.
Unlike the fair’s pickle fries, which are potato fries made with pickle juice and seasoning, apple fries are actually fried apples. They’re Granny Smith apples (I assume, given that the apple fries stand only showed images of green apples) cut french fry-style and seasoned with brown sugar and spices.
On Wednesday, I tried “original”-style apple fries, meaning that I ordered them without caramel or other toppings. I was pleasantly surprised by how light they were, as well as the fact that they weren’t overly sweet. They had a nice soft-but-not-mushy texture similar to Wendy’s french fries, but lacked the heaviness that typically comes with deep-fried food.
The Apple Fries stand at The Big E 2024 is located on West Road.Susannah Sudborough/MassLive
I appreciated that the apple’s flavor wasn’t overpowered by the seasoning even as the brown sugar packed a sweet punch. It also wasn’t the type of fried dish where the toppings are only present on the top level of fries, making for a disappointing bottom half. While I couldn’t see how the fries were made, the bottom level of fries only had a little bit less seasoning than the top half.
Because the apple fries feel lighter than most fried food and deliver well-balanced flavors, it’s easy to focus on the fact that you are eating an apple and forget that it is a dessert food that has been deep fried. Overall, I’d give the Original apple fries a 9/10.
Original apple fries retail for $10, but you can add caramel or peanut butter crumbles for $2, bacon for $3 and ice cream for $5. The apple fries stand, which is located on West Road, also advertises a bacon caramel apple fries sundae, but does not list a price.
