When it comes to cooking, the apple you select can substantially impact the flavor and texture of your dishes. Apples are a versatile fruit used in sweet and savory preparations, from pies and crisps to salads and roasts. This article will investigate the world of apples and help you determine which apple varieties are best for cooking.
Best Apples For Baking And Cooking
Almost all apples are suitable for fresh consumption depending on your preference (crisp or tender, sweet or sour). However, some varieties are more suitable for baking and cooking than others. For the finest texture and flavor, our Test Kitchen suggests sourcing the following apple varieties for use in cooking:
- Granny Smith Apple
- Braeburn
- Winesap
- Honeygold
- Jonathan
- Golden Delicious
- Pink Lady
- Cordera
- Firecracker
Types of Apples
Here are some types of apples :
1. Granny Smith Apples
It is a name you are familiar with and with good reason. The Granny Smith apple, with its subtly sour flavor and characteristic firmness, is one of the most widely used varieties for making apple desserts of professional quality. This verdant beauty retains its form even when subjected to high temperatures, so you won’t have to deal with unsightly, sagging messes. Granny Smith apples can be found in nearly every supermarket nationwide, making them one of the most practical alternatives on our list.
2. Braeburn
The Braeburn apple is native to New Zealand, but its crisp, zesty flavor and gorgeous yellow-red hue have made it a hit in American cooking. In addition, the Braeburn is distinguished from other acidic or excessively sweet varieties by a citrusy undertone in its flavor. This apple is ideal for autumn delicacies due to the Braeburn’s cinnamon and nutmeg flavors. The Braeburn apple is harvested in September and October in North America, whereas fruits imported from Chile are typically mature in June.
Braeburn apples are one of the largest culinary apple varieties, weighing nearly a half-pound each. Braeburn apples retain their shape when baked and pair well with other flavors. If you can’t find Braeburn apples in your neighborhood grocery store or orchard, you can buy their offspring, like Kanzi, Envy, and Jazz.
3. Winesap
Winesap apples are one of the lesser varieties of baking apples. Their skin is smooth, thick, and has red lines all over it. Their yellow meat is thick, crisp, and crunchy, just like a good apple should be. The Winesap’s name alludes to its wine-like flavor and connection to nineteenth- and twentieth-century cideries that used the apple to produce cider with nuanced flavors.
In addition to being an excellent apple for snacking, the Winesap has numerous qualities that make it a good culinary apple. Due to the firmness of the apple’s interior, it can withstand baking, frying, and cooking without difficulty.
4. Honeygold
Honeygold apples are the same color as Golden Delicious apples, which are yellow, but they taste more like honey.This apple cultivar results from a cross between the Golden Delicious and the Haralson. It is extremely cold-resistant. Although their names are often muddled, these two apple varieties are distinct.
Golden Delicious apples can be replaced with Honeygold apples in recipes. Honeygold’s flavor is marginally sweeter and less complex, and its texture is crispier. The flavor of the apple goes well with cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and caramel. It is ideal for making pies, pastries, and dumplings.
5. Jonathan
Northeastern United States is the sole native range of the Jonathan apple. These apples are considered heirloom varieties, indicating that they have been handed down from generation to generation rather than commercially bred. Therefore, Jonathan is often difficult to locate.
The flesh of Jonathan’s apples is both tender and firm. The majority of apples are more elongated than they are circular. This variety has a strong aroma and a mild acidity. This apple should be combined with Braeburns, Honeygolds, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smiths for a less gummy texture.
6. Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious apples are typically yellow but can have green or pale pink blush areas. Apples are covered with tiny spots known as lenticels. Its epidermis is delicate and easily pierced. The flesh of the apple is juicy, mildly fragrant, and ivory-colored.
Sugary, honey-like, aromatic, and floral are the most common flavor notes associated with Golden Delicious apples. Golden Delicious apples, like Cortland apples, have slow-browning flesh, making them an excellent choice for consuming and baking. The natural sweetness of the Golden Delicious apple makes it an ideal ingredient for baked goods such as pies, bread, and desserts.
7. Pink Lady
Pink Lady is an extremely acidic apple variety. The flavor of the apple is inherited from its progenitors, the Golden Delicious and an Australian red apple known as the Lady Williams. It is characterized as having a refreshingly zesty and robust flavor. To achieve the desired flavor in apple pie or apple cinnamon muffins, combining it with other sweet fruits may be necessary.
The Pink Lady has one of the longest growing seasons of any apple cultivar.
8. Cordera
This ruby-colored apple was developed at Cornell University, the site of the oldest apple breeding program in the United States, and will debut in the autumn of 2020. Named after the late Robert Lamb, a Cornell apple cultivator for more than four decades (cordera is the Spanish word for “lamb”). These apples are delicious when eaten fresh, are crisp and delicate in flavor, and are resistant to apple scab, a common apple disease in this New York region.
9. Firecracker
These red-blushed apples have a rustic, partially russeted, reddish-brown appearance and a tart-sweet flavor. The skin of a Firecracker contains more flavor than other Pokémon’s, while the russets—tiny cork cells on the skin—give it a hazelnut taste. The Firecracker is deemed a “triple threat” because it is one of the few varieties suitable for eating, baking, and cider production.
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