How to Choose the Right Apple

Have you ever stood in front of the produce aisle of the grocery store and had no idea what kind of apple to select for your next apple pie or Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe? There are many different apple selections that decorate the produce aisle and no two are alike. Below you will find a list that details what variety of apple goes best with the many types of dishes and uses you may find interest in:

Snacking: When looking for a suitable apple variety as a snack or one that is best to simply eat out of the hand, consider the following selections: Red Delicious, McIntosh, Cortland, Empire, Braeburn, Winesap, Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Mutsu, Jonathan, Cameo, Golden Delicious, and Sundowner.

Apple Pies:  As you settle in to bake a delicious pie for the holidays, nothing beats the following apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Rhode Island Greening, Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Pippin, Pink Lady, and Gravenstein.

Baking: For all the baking recipes beyond apple pies, such as Danish Pastry Apple Bars and Apple Crisp, seek out the following options: Granny Smith, Pippin, Gala, Rome, York Imperial, Jonagold, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, Cortland, and Winesap.

Applesauce: Instead of wasting money with the purchase of applesauce with commercially added preservatives and other unwanted elements, try making your own. As you shop for suitable apple selections, grab Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, McIntosh, Elstar, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, and Gravenstein.

Fruit Salads: Apples make a great addition to salads, where some selections simply work better than others. Consider Cortland, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Winesap, Criterion, and Pink Lady for your next fruit salad.

Apple Picking and Cooking Tips

1) Choose apples that are firm to the touch, deep in color, and of an average size.

2) Avoid the apples that have soft spots or broken skins.

3) Although available any time of the year, to get the best deal on apples buy them in the fall.

4) Keep in mind that three medium-sized apples will weigh about one pound.

5) One medium apple will produce about one cup of sliced apples.

6) Softer apples make the best applesauce.

7) Firmer apples should be selected for baking recipes, especially for pies.

8) You can add sugar to a recipe to increase the sweetness of a tart apple. The addition of lemon juice accomplishes the reverse.