These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty!

If you’re a farmers’ market regular, you’ve probably been tempted more than once by a stand selling fresh hard pretzels. Hand-rolled and locally made, these pretzels are even more irresistible than their supermarket siblings.

"The ones from the farmers’ markets tend to be larger, crunchier, and less salty," says Martha Stewart Living food editor Charlotte March. "They’re as great to cook with as they are to eat on their own." So the next time you pick up a bag of these knotted nibbles, keep a few out of the snack stash. Instead, use them to give a variety of dishes an unexpected twist.

Related: 35 Pantry Staples for Healthy Eating

3 Ways to Use Pretzels

Use Them as Breading
Coat pork chops (or chicken) with grainy mustard; dredge in finely ground pretzels before cooking.

Turn Them into Candies
Try our Peanut-Butter Pretzel Candy recipe.

Peanut-Butter Pretzel Candy

Turn leftover farm-stand pretzels into simple candies. Peanut butter helps the crumbled pretzels stick together, and melted chocolate is the finishing touch.

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room-temperature
1 cup crushed pretzels
5 ounces milk chocolate, melted

1. Stir together peanut butter, sugar, and butter. Stir in crushed pretzels. Form into 1-inch balls. Freeze for 30 minutes. Dip in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

Make Individual Crumbles
Try our Pretzel Crumbles recipe.

Related: 25 New Ways to Eat Avocados

Pretzel Crumbles

Create individual apple crumbles using pretzels from the market. Top halved apples with a mixture that includes crushed pretzels.

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons crushed pretzels
3 apples, halved and cored

1. Blend butter and flour with brown sugar. Stir in pretzels. Scatter over apple halves. Bake at 375 degrees until apples are soft and topping is crisp, 35 to 40 minutes.

Pretzel Tips

Buying Them
Pretzels are year-round fixtures at farm stands.

Storing Them
Keep pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Preparing Them
To crush or grind pretzels, pulse them in a food processor or place them in a resealable bag, and bang with a rolling pin.

More from Martha Stewart:
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
42 Slow-Cooker Recipes Worth the Wait

Snack attack! Next up, homemade cereal bars.