Pome Fruit Category

Pome Fruit

The family of pome (rhymes with "home") fruits include apples, pears, quinces, Asian pears, and loquats.


ambrosia apple
ambrosia apple
Crisp and juicy, this is a great apple for snacking.
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Anjou pear, Beurré d'Anjou, d'Anjou pear
Anjou pear
These economical pears aren't as tasty as some of the other varieties, but they're still good for both eating and cooking. The peel stays light green even when the pear is ripe.
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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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Asian pear, apple pear, Chinese pear, Japanese pear, nashi, nashi pear
Asian pear
Asian pears are crunchy, juicy, and very fragrant. Growers produce over twenty different varieties in an assortment of sizes and colors. They're often served raw, but they can also be cooked, though they never become as soft as cooked pears.
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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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Bartlett pear, Williams' bon chrétien, Williams pear
Bartlett pear
These are very juicy and great for eating out of hand. They turn yellow when ripe.
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Bosc pear, Beurre Bosc, Kaiser
Bosc pear
This firm and crunchy pear is the best choice for cooking, because it holds its shape nicely. Bosc pears can also be eaten out of hand.
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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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California sugar pear
California sugar pear
This small pear is the same size as a Seckel pear, but it's not as juicy and sweet.
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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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Comice pear
Comice pear
These juicy pears are considered to be the best for eating out of hand, but they're very expensive.
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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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crab apple, crabapple, crabtrees, wild apples
crab apple
These small apples are too tart to eat raw, but they're loaded with pectin and make great jams and jellies.
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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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loquat, Chinese plum, Japanese medlar, Japanese plum, nespolo, pipa
loquat
These are popular in Asia, where they're eaten raw and cooked into sauces that accompany meat. They bruise very easily, which may explain their rarity in American markets
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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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pome Fruit, false fruit
pome Fruit
The family of pome fruits include apples, pears, quinces, Asian pears, and loquats.
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quince, golden apple
quince
This pleasantly tart fruit needs to be cooked before eating. Quinces are high in pectin, so they're commonly used to make jams and jellies. Some cooks simply bake them like apples. They come into season from August to December.
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red Anjou pear
red Anjou pear
Very similar to a green Anjou pear.
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red Bartlett pear
red Bartlett pear
This tastes just like a yellow Bartlett, but it's more attractive and more expensive.
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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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