KNOW YOUR APPLES
Just how well do you know your apples? With such a vast spectrum of color, flavor, firmness from which to choose and combine, the variety of apples that can be cultivated is mind-boggling. It’s estimated that more than 14,000 varieties of apples have been identified and named over the past 400 years. But don’t worry, you don’t need to know them all, because most never made it to a commercial market as the apple became less of a local specialty and more of a global commodity. Currently, there are more than 100 varieties of applesr grown commercially in the United States, but 15 popular varieties account for almost 90 percent of all production. Here’s your handy guide to those varieties plus a few other commonly found choices.
Ambrosia – Just like the fragrant nectar or food for the Gods that its name invokes, the Ambrosia has a tender-sweet, heavenly taste. With a smooth yellow-pink skin, a floral aroma, and slight honey flavor, they’re ideal for snacking, salads, and are also suitable for baking.
Braeburn – This New Zealand born spicy-sweet fruit is a superb all-purpose apple, best eaten out of hand, but also known to make a decent pie. It has tender, fragrant skin, which smells like just-pressed cider and vanishes like a wisp of cotton candy in your mouth.
Cameo - A spontaneous variety that sprang up in Eastern Washington, Cameo was allowed to grow and proved itself a winner. It is a great dessert apple, perfect alone or with cheese. The Washington Apple Commission rates it as excellent for pies, applesauce and snacking.
Cortland – Cortlands are a cross between McIntosh and Ben Davis, but are sweet compared to McIntosh. They have very white flesh and are resistant to browning, making them especially good for salads. They’re also an excellent dessert apple and make delicious apple sauce. If you leave the skins on while cooking, and then run the apples through a food mill or ricer, your sauce will turn a naturally pretty shade of pink.
Crispin – Originally called a Mutsu, reflecting its Japanese heritage, this exceptional apple was renamed Crispin in the late 1960s and has gained popularity ever since. Available almost year-round, sweet, crisp, and refreshing, these apples are excellent for eating, baking, freezing, or cooking into sauce.
Empire – Developed at Cornell University in the 1940s, this versatile sweet-tart apple is a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh appeals. A juicy apple with a very crisp, creamy white flesh, they are excellent for eating and salads, and good for sauces, baking, pies, and freezing
Fuji – Originally developed in Japan in the late 1930s, this big, red apple with golden highlights actually has an American heritage and entered the US market in the 1980s. A bold, sweet, flavorful and firm apple, Fuji is a cross between Red Delicious and an obscure old variety known as Ralls Janet, which was grown by George Washington at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. It keeps better than any other sweet apple, able to withstand a few weeks in a fruit bowl without turning mushy. Not unsuitable for cooking or baking, but it is really best eaten raw and is delicious in salads.
Gala – This New Zealand import which is now widely grown in the Northwest is a perfect apple for snacking! It is crisp, fragrant, and juicy. Not a good cooking or baking apple; instead, save it for salads where its bright flavor is accentuated in the presence of vinaigrette, cheese, and nuts. It’s right at home in a lunchbox or backpack!
Golden Delicious – A very versatile and flavorful American blonde. Not only a fantastic snacking apple, it makes great applesauce, and bakes well too, but becomes soft very quickly.
Granny Smith – The green-skinned Granny Smith is a good baking apple with refreshing tartness that’s especially useful in savory dishes where its firm texture stands up to grilling and pan-searing. It’s often a favorite choice for baking, though it is slow to soften when baked.
Honeycrisp – Many consider Honeycrisp apples to be the greatest fresh eating apple of all time with their crisp texture and sweetness that really is reminiscent of honey. They also make excellent applesauce!
Jazz - Like the music for which it is named, Jazz is mellow with a bit of everything working together perfectly. Medium sized and scarlet red, with yellow-green patches, it’s juicy and sweet like the Honeycrisp and nice and firm like a Pink Lady. A perfect apple for snacking and baking.
Jonagold – A seasonal apple, that is intensely flavorful, colorful and a wonderful all-purpose apple. They generally arrive the first of October and by Thanksgiving are likely to have vanished, so snap them up when you see them as they’re great for baking and just plain eating.
McIntosh – Enjoyed since 1811 when John McIntosh discovered the first seedling, McIntosh apples grow particularly well in New York’s cool climate. They are sweet and very juicy with a tart tang and tender white flesh. They are excellent for eating and sauce and also good for salads. If using for pie, add a thickener because their tender flesh cooks down quickly.
Macoun – This dark red apple with a purple flush is both tender and tart. Underneath the tough skin, it has a crunchy, white, juicy flesh. Great for snacking, and sweet enough for making apple cider and applesauce.
Paula Red – One of the earliest apples to arrive during harvest season (sometimes as early as August!) is the Paula Red from Michigan. With a red blush over a yellow-green background, Paula Reds are a combination of sweet and tart that’s superb for snacking and making applesauce.
Pink Lady – Commonly referred to by its retail name, Pink Lady, the Cripps Pink is a cross of Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. Developed in Western Australia, its bright, namesake coloring is brought out by brisk, autumn nights.
Red Delicious - Red Delicious apples are available year-round and still account for 80% of all apples grown in Washington. They look good and taste good, stand up to cooking and are ideal for snacking. They’re also perfect in salads, just make sure to peel the skin off, and toss with a little lemon and sugar. Keep them refrigerated to maintain their texture and flavor.
Rome - These superb apples retain their shape and mildly tart flavor beautifully when cooked. This old-time variety originated in Ohio in 1816 but is widely grown in New York State. They are best used for sauces, baking, and pies. For a delicious blended applesauce, combine them with a sweet apple, like Golden Delicious.