home > fruit > pome fruit > apples

 

Apples

Crisp, juicy apples are great in lunchboxes, but they can also be made into pies and tarts, pressed into cider, or baked with sugar and spices.  Select apples that are firm, deeply colored, and of average size.  Reject those that have soft spots or broken skins.  They're available throughout the year, but they're usually better and cheaper in the fall.

Equivalents   

Three medium apples weigh about one pound.  One medium apple yields about one cup of slices.   

Substitutes  

• Asian pear OR 
• pear OR 
• quince (A good choice for baking.  It's pleasantly tart, and the fruit holds its shape very well.) OR 
• chayote squash (This makes a terrific "apple" pie.)  

Varieties    

Softer apples are best for applesauce, while firmer apples are best for baking and making pies.  You can increase the sweetness or acidity of the product by adding sugar or a few drops of lemon juice to the recipe.

Best for eating out of hand:   Gala, Fuji, Mutsu, Jonathan, Cameo, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Empire, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Braeburn, Winesap, Pink Lady, Sundowner

Best for pies:  Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Rhode Island Greening, Pippin, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gravenstein

Best for applesauce:   Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, McIntosh, Elstar, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Gravenstein

Best for baking:   Rome, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, Cortland, Winesap

Best for making salads:  Cortland, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Winesap, Criterion, Pink Lady

 

---

 

	ambrosia apple  Notes:  Crisp and juicy, this is a great apple for snacking.
	Arkansas Black apple  Notes:   This apple is renown for its long shelf life.  It's good for making sauce and baking.

 

Baldwin apple  Notes:  This is a fairly sweet, all-purpose apple, but it's hard to find.

 

	Braeburn apple   This firm and juicy apple is good for eating out of hand or for baking.
	Cameo apple This firm, mildly tart apple is quite versatile.  Use Cameos in pies, applesauce, salads, or just eat them out of hand.

Cortland apple   Notes:   These are all-purpose apples.  Since their flesh is slow to brown after it's cut, Cortland apples are especially good in salads.  If substituting another variety in a salad, dip it in acidulated water first to keep it from darkening.

Criterion apple  Notes:  This is a good apple for eating out of hand, or for making applesauce or pies.  Its flesh is slow to brown after it's cut.

 

Elstar apple   This firm apple is especially good for making applesauce.

 

	Empire apple   This is a Red Delicious-McIntosh cross that's great for baking or eating out of hand.
	Enterprise apple
	Fuji apple   This variety is good for eating out of hand, or for making applesauce or pies.
	Gala apple   This apple is outstanding for eating out of hand or for baking or making applesauce.

Golden Delicious apple This sweet apple is good for eating out of hand, baking, and for making pies.   The yellower the better.

	Granny Smith apple This is a firm, tart apple that's good for baking, making pies, and eating out of hand.  They tend to have thick skins, so you might want to peel them before serving.
	Gravenstein apple  Notes:  This is a good, all-purpose apple, but it's best suited for making applesauce and pies.

	Jonagold apple   This crisp, juicy apple is a Jonathan-Golden Delicious cross.  It's a bit tart and good for eating out of hand.
	Jonathan apple   This tart apple is good for eating out of hand, though it has a fairly thick peel.
	Lady apple   These are very small apples, and usually used for decoration.

Macoun apple   Pronunciation:  muh-KOON    Notes:   This juicy apple is good for eating out of hand.  

 

	McIntosh apple   These soft apples are great for snacking or for making applesauce, but don't bake them or put them in pies.
	Mutsu apple = Crispin apple  Pronunciation:  MUTT-sue This is a very juicy, crisp, all-purpose apple.
	Northern Spy apple  Notes:  These tart, firm apples are terrific in pies, but they're hard to find.

Pink Lady apple   This is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Lady William.  It's sweet and crisp, and good in salads and pies.

Pippin apple = Newtown Pippin apple This is a firm, tart apple that's great for pies, baking, and applesauce.

	Red Delicious apple   These sweet, soft apples are good for eating out of hand, but don't bake them or use them in pies.  Avoid buying them in the summer; they sometimes get mushy.
	Rhode Island Greening  These are especially good for baking.

	Rome apple = Rome Beauty apple These are best used for baking and for making applesauce.  They don't work well in pies.
	Sierra Beauty apple    This is a juicy, crisp and somewhat tart apple.  It doesn't hold its shape well when cooked, but it's great for eating out of hand.
	Spartan apple This is a cross between the McIntosh and Pippin apples.  It's a good all-purpose apple.
	Sundowner apple  Notes:  Like the Pink Lady apple, this is a a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Lady Williams.  It's very good for eating out of hand.
	Winesap = Stayman Winesap   This tart apple is great for eating out of hand or for making cider.  It keeps for a relatively long time.
	York Imperial   These are especially good for baking.

 

Southern rose apple This is a good apple for eating out of hand.

 

---

Copyright © 1996-2005  Lori Alden