Best Apple Varieties: Perfect Fruit For Eating and Baking

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Best Apple Varieties – There are so many apple varieties to choose from at a farmer’s market! It is not always easy to recognize which apple is perfect for pie and which one tastes best as a healthy, juicy snack. As we ease out of summer and into fall, I’ve been checking the local farmer’s markets for fresh-picked apples.

Apple Picking Time!

Years ago, we used to make special trips to pick our own at some of the best-known orchards in the area. With everyone’s busy schedule, we now let the orchard markets come to us although we miss the close-up view of the Shenandoah Mountains. It is so much easier to have them pick bushels of the various apple varieties than to hike the entire orchard in search of perfect munching or baking apple varieties. Apples are one of my favorite fall fruits. There is a long list of recipes that are always among the most requested by family members:

• At the top of the list is Apple Pie in just about any form – Dutch style to a crumb topping.
• In our family, an apple cake took center stage as my sister’s wedding cake.
• Caramel Apples are synonymous with Halloween and the perfect treat for spook night gatherings.
• Have you ever heard anyone refuse a baked apple? Check the link at the bottom of this post.  It is the ultimate in sweet comfort food.

Let’s check out the many varieties of both summer and winter apples available to fill fruit bowls, bake, cook and of course just eat.

List of the Best Apple Varieties!

Apples For General Use

Some are brand new to me!

• Baldwin
• Jonathan
• King David
• McIntosh
• Northern Spy
• Spitzenberg
• York Imperial
• Wealthy
• Yellow Newton

Apples To Fill Fruit Bowls

• Red Delicious (a mild flavor and the juiciest apple in the bowl)
• Golden Delicious (the sweet one)
• Winesap
• Grimes Golden
• Honeycrisp (crunchy texture and everyone’s favorite eating apple)

Perfect Apples For Baking

• Granny Smith (very tart and crisp – on the dry side so add a bit of lemon juice)
• Rome
• Beauty
• Stayman
• Arkansas Black
• Gravenstein
• Yellow Transparent
• Duchess

You Can Also Cook With These Apples

A Quick Recipe Idea

Pick your favorite baking apple.  Peel and thinly slice three large apples (I would select Granny Smiths), sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon and top with 1/2 cup of light brown sugar. Toss to distribute lemon juice and sugar evenly across the apples slices.  To a medium sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons of sweet butter, a dash of salt and about 1/2 a teaspoon of Apple Pie Spice. Cook over low heat until the apples are soft but the slices hold their shape.  Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, prepare a sweet crêpe batter.  Set aside for about a half hour to rest then prepare the crêpes. Fill with some of the cooked apples, fold over or roll and serve with vanilla ice cream.  Bet you do not hear a single word except perhaps “may I have some more please”? Be sure to visit the Virginia Apple Grower’s Association website for a complete list of pick-your-own farms and orchards as well as a guide to county and statewide apple festivals and events. Picture this… Cheesecake Stuffed Baked Apples.  This is going on my list of recipes for baked goodies.

More Apple Recipes

• Apple Bundt Cake