Apples Category

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. They're available throughout the year, but they're usually better and cheaper in the fall.


Select apples that are firm, deeply colored, and of average size. Reject those that have soft spots or broken skins.


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.


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


To get substitutions for apples in general, click here.


Varieties:


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
ambrosia apple
Crisp and juicy, this is a great apple for snacking.
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Arkansas Black apple
Arkansas Black apple
This apple is renown for its long shelf life. It's good for making sauce and baking.
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Baldwin apple
Baldwin apple
This is a fairly sweet, all-purpose apple, but it's hard to find.
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Braeburn apple
Braeburn apple
This firm and juicy apple is good for eating out of hand or for baking.
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Cameo apple
Cameo apple
This firm, mildly tart apple is quite versatile. Use Cameos in pies, applesauce, salads, or just eat them out of hand.
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Cortland apple
Cortland apple
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.
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Criterion apple
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.
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Elstar apple
Elstar apple
This firm apple is especially good for making applesauce.
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Empire apple
Empire apple
This is a Red Delicious-McIntosh cross that's great for baking or eating out of hand.
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Fuji apple
Fuji apple
This variety is good for eating out of hand, or for making applesauce or pies.
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Gala apple
Gala apple
This apple is outstanding for eating out of hand or for baking or making applesauce.
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Golden Delicious apple
Golden Delicious apple
This sweet apple is good for eating out of hand, baking, and for making pies. The yellower the better.
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Granny Smith apple
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.
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Gravenstein apple
Gravenstein apple
This is a good, all-purpose apple, but it's best suited for making applesauce and pies.
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Jonagold apple
Jonagold apple
This crisp, juicy apple is a Jonathan-Golden Delicious cross. It's a bit tart and good for eating out of hand.
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Jonathan apple
Jonathan apple
This tart apple is good for eating out of hand, though it has a fairly thick peel.
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Lady apple
Lady apple
These are very small apples, and usually used for decoration.
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Macoun apple
Macoun apple
This juicy apple is good for eating out of hand.
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McIntosh apple
McIntosh apple
These soft apples are great for snacking or for making applesauce, but don't bake them or put them in pies.
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Mutsu apple, Crispin apple
Mutsu apple
This is a very juicy, crisp, all-purpose apple.
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Northern Spy apple
Northern Spy apple
These tart, firm apples are terrific in pies, but they're hard to find.
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Pink Lady apple
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.
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Pippin apple, Newtown Pippin apple
Pippin apple
This is a firm, tart apple that's great for pies, baking, and applesauce.
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red delicious apple
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.
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Rhode Island Greening
Rhode Island greening
These are especially good for baking.
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Rome apple, Gillett's seedling, red rome, Rome Beauty apple
Rome apple
These are best used for baking and for making applesauce. They don't work well in pies.
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Sierra Beauty apple
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.
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Southern rose apple
Southern rose apple
This is a good apple for eating out of hand.
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Spartan apple
Spartan apple
This is a cross between the McIntosh and Pippin apples. It's a good all-purpose apple.
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Sundowner apple
Sundowner apple
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.
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Winesap, Stayman Winesap
Winesap
This tart apple is great for eating out of hand or for making cider. It keeps for a relatively long time.
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York Imperial, York
York Imperial
These are especially good for baking.
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