This Autumn Apple Guide Will Make Baking So Much Simpler
Make the most of apple season while it's here.
Browse through our apple guide to learn more about some of the tastiest types of apples, plus recipes for cooking and baking each apple variety.
Fuji Apples
Originally grown in Japan, the Fuji apple is a hybrid of two American red apples that is known for its sweetness. Whether you're using it to cook, bake, or even make apple sauce, you'll find you need to add little to no extra sugar to your dish. The Fuji apple also has a notably longer shelf life than other apples, which makes it the perfect choice if you need a long-lasting fresh fruit.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle
SHOW IT OFF: Trifle Bowl, $22, amazon.com.
McIntosh Apples
This apple's juicy and tender white flesh makes it the perfect choice for baking. When ripe, its thick, easy-to-peel skin ranges in color from red, to pale pink, to green. Available during peak season from September through June, its taste is a combination of sweet and tart.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Cake Bars
Granny Smith Apples
Known for its light green skin, the Granny Smith apple is popular for its extremely tart, even sour, taste. Served raw, it is an excellent choice for a healthy snack or as an add-on to salads. Available year-round, this tart fruit keeps both its shape and crunch when cooked.
Recipe: Apple Nachos
Pink Lady Apples
Also known as Cripps Pink, the Pink Lady apple is a mix of tart and sweet. Pink in color, as its name suggests, it's healthiest when served with its skin, which contains 50% of its vitamins.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Pie Oatmeal
Braeburn Apples
Originally grown in New Zealand, the Braeburn is known for having both a sweet and tangy flavo. A go-to when it comes to desserts, it is also just as tasty when thrown into a pasta or on top of a salad.
Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Kale Salad with Apples and Cheddar
MAKE THE CUT: Cuisinart Classic Chef's Knife, $15; amazon.com.
Golden Delicious Apples
The Golden Delicious is easily identified by its smooth and shiny yellow skin. It has a mellow, sweet flavor, making it a versatile for everything from cooking to baking to freezing.
Ambrosia Apples
The Ambrosia apple has a pink color over its yellow base. With a plain, sweet taste and soft, crunchy texture, its low acidity might remind you more of a pear than of an apple. That mildly sweet flavor makes it perfect for dishes such as crepes and pies.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza
Rome Apples
Despite its name, the Rome Apple is a quintessentially American apple. It's your best bet when it comes to an apple that will retain its shape when heated.
Recipe: Baked Apple Cheesecakes
Gala Apples
Since they are mildly sweet and incredibly juicy, this apple is one of the best for pairing with stronger flavors when cooking.
Calville Blanc d'Hiver Apples
A very popular apple in the culinary community, the Calville Blanc D'Hiver is great for pie fillings.
Recipe: Apple Pie in a Jar
Cortland Apples
The Cortland is an all-purpose apple that lends itself to cooking or baking.
Empire apples
Though they are on the smallish side, Empire apples — distinguished by their deep-red blushed coloring atop a green base — boast big flavor. A combination of sweet and tart, Empire apples are amaze in baking.
Recipe: Apple Pie Pockets
Honeycrisp Apples
While most often used in baking and sauces, its sweetness makes it a great addition to savory dishes as well.
Recipe: Baked Apples with Brie and Honey
Winesap Apples
Because they have an extremely aromatic taste, this is a great choice when it comes to making juice or cider.
Northern Spy Apples
Northern Spy Apples have both a tart flavor and a texture that is crunchier than most other apples.
Recipe: Mini Baked Apple Pies
GET BAKING: Le Creuset Rectangular Dish, $32; amazon.com.
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