Nothing says fall like apples: baked into pies, enjoying warm apple cider, and visiting your local apple orchard.
-Baking-
- A good baking apple will hold its shape when it’s cooked in a pie, tart, cake or other high-heat dish. Even among those sturdy breeds, a wide variety of tastes, textures and tartness will influence your final product. One of the most common apples to choose for baking is a Granny Smith. When making a pie, though, you want to go for a sweet Jazz or a Pink Lady, also known as a Cripps Pink, says Amy Traverso, author of “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook”
-Applesauce and Purée-
- For sauces and other purées, go to the opposite end of the spectrum. A McIntosh will melt like ice cream when baked, but creates a flavorful applesauce. The soft, tangy Jonathan will also deliver a flavorful purée.
-All Around Choice-
- The Golden Delicious may be the go to apple. This apple holds up to baking and a mild flavor and sweetness, besides working well in the oven, it’s great alongside your peanut butter. Ashmead’s Kernel, a great baking apple, also has a juiciness that has popularity with cider makers. Honey Crisp, with its big, juicy bite, makes a great snack and a fabulous cider. Its firm texture also gives it integrity in a pie.