Apple, Apple, Apple
Gala. Sweet, crisp, dense. Cooking diminishes sweetness.
So…obviously this post is not about Steve Jobs introducing the latest iphone that measures 1 inch long with 5 billion GB of memory. And its definitely NOT about the offspring of Gwyneth Paltrow and that Coldplay dude (*sigh*…let’s just place that little piece of pop culture back on the ”Irrelevant-To-Life-Shelf” shall we?) I’m thinking more along the lines of Isaac Newton, William Tell and John Chapman. Of course, I’m talking about the quintessential American fruit, the Apple.
Macoun. Softly floral, slightly tart, light texture. Mushy when cooked.
Granny Smith. Tart, crisp,dense. Classic cooking apple.
Its Fall, which of course, means its the peak of the season for this pomaceous fruit. Pie, crisp, cake, strudel, pancakes, tarte tatin, cobbler, fritters, sauce, donuts, turnovers, cider, brandy, apple picking…what’s not to love?
I wish I had an orchard.
Braeburn. Sweet, tart, light texture. Cooks nicely.
Cortland. Tart, light texture. Not ideal for cooking.
I was inspired to go out and pick up a bunch of different apples to eat after reading this little post over at Strange Culture. It re-awakened my mind to the vast variety of apple cultivars. There are so many nowadays, its exciting to experience all the different flavors and textures and try to match them to other ingredients. Or, of course, to just eat them raw. Each and every person I know has a different preference concerning apples, for both eating and cooking.
McIntosh. Intensely tart with some sweetness, crispy. Very soft when cooked.
And I love the names, which are as charming as the names of heirloom tomatoes: Gala, Rome, Honeycrisp, Jona Gold, Macoun, Ambrosia, Pacific Rose, Granny Smith…
From top left: Fuji, Braeburn, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Rome, Granny Smith, Macoun, McIntosh and Gala.
For myself, Honeycrisp has to be my number one favorite eating apple. I ate my first one nearly nine years ago, when my chef ordered half a case just for the staff to try. If I recall correctly, they cost well over $100 for roughly 25 pounds (and that was wholesale). Ever since I took that first bite, my life changed. This round, firm Honeycrisp was extremely juicy, had the perfect balance of sweet and sour, and gave the most satisfying KER-RUNCH! The acoustics alone are impressive. The texture is completely unique, falling somewhere between a watermelon and an Asian pear. I keep reading tidbits hither and yon about honeycrisp apple cider too…I need to find me some, fast.
Honeycrisp. Crispy, citrusy sweet, dense. Tasty when cooked.
For cooking, Honeycrisp works well, both in flavor and texture. But my favorite for pies and such has to be the Rome apple, which develops the most gorgeous sweetness when cooked. Granny Smiths are reliable and good for that acidic punch, but Fuji and Braeburn offer a more interesting flavor profile to me.
Rome. Lightly sweet, slightly crispy. Best eaten when cooked.
Fuji. Second favorite after Honeycrisp. Sweet, crisp, juicy. Cooks well.
I love Fall. I’m hoping to go apple picking soon with my good friend, Kevin. Maybe I’ll even be lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle of Honeycrisp cider.
12 comments
Apples and October and a kitchen filled with them in baskets. I simply love this, Oui. I am thinking a French dessert of apple tart and pastry creme and of course a shave or two of chocolat.
Wow, great survey of apples, and lovely pictures.
We recently spent a weekend at our neighbor’s farm and orchard. They have a family variety of apple that I think is related to the Spokane Beauty . . . giant, crisp, sweet, but slightly tart. incredible. I think it surpassed the honey crisp as my favorite for eating and cooking… good thing too, cause we came home with more than we know what to do with!
I haven’t tried Honeycrisp before! It’s mostly good old Cortlands and McIntosh where I’m from, so that is always what we picked. This is a great primer for some other types, too.
Brenda: That sounds lovely! Baskets of apples and tarts are always good.
Talley: I am definitely going to have to look out for some of those Spokane Beauties, sound too good to pass up, thanks for sharing that!
Anna: I love McIntosh and Cortlands too. You might be able to find some Honeycrisp at a farmer’s market or Whole Foods in the NY metro area. They’re definitely worth a try!
what beautiful pictures- i love your appreciativeness of food in it’s whole, unspoiled form!
[...] Apple, Apple, Apple – from COOK, a oui chef journal – A fantastic article on the varieties of apples in my area, with spectacular photos. I bookmarked this just for value alone. [...]
[...] be hard to come by, so substitute with another good baking apple, granny smith or braeburn maybe. Cook, a oui chef journal recently wrote up descriptions of almost a dozen apple cultivars that’s worth taking a look [...]
Nice round-up of apples
I actually had my first Honeycrisp apple two weeks ago, and they are really good! They may even unseat Fuji’s as my favorite 
The one thing, though, that has always perplexed me about apples is the “Red Delicious” apple, which is definitely red yet always seem to be anything but delicious :/ Are they good for anything? Cooking, maybe?
Oraxia: Thank you. You’re right, “Red Delicious” is perplexing. I’m sure they would be fine in some type of apple dessert, like a cake or bar, maybe. Or a salad with tons of mayo and other ingredients that the apple wouldn’t matter. There are so many other superior apples to choose from that I wouldn’t even bother. I can’t even remember the last time I ate a Red Delicious!
Everyone seems to have missed 2 of the BEST apples around~
Jazz ( cross between Royal Gala & Braeburn ) and Cripps Pink
( cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams ).
These apples are SO tasty, ( both with great crisp textures as well), that most other apples now seem bland and tasteless in comparison! They are only available in the fall…like now.
I totally agree with Connie and Oraxia ~ Red Delicious apples are a waste ~ to me, they are totally tasteless…and the skins are tough. Anyway, if you see the Jazz apples, be sure to give them a try…pricey…but worth every cent! Connie ~ beautiful photos!
Ellen: Thank you. I’ve seen the Jazz apples and wondered about them. Thanks for the tip, I will definitely try them! Don’t know if I’ve ever seen Cripps Pink (or even Lady Williams, I just love all the names) but I’ll be looking for those as well!
If you like Honeycrisp, try Greenbluff in Spokane, WA. Greenbluff is comprised of a large hillside in the country with many different growers. The website is: http://www.greenbluffgrowers.com/contact/index.htmlThey are only a few miles from my home and I never pay more than $1.00 per lb all harvest season for Honeycrisp. At Yaryan’s Orchard in Greenbluff, they are $.60 lb. They are my favorite, too! I’m sure many of the Greenbluff orchards will ship so you might want to check them out. My favorited are Yaryans and High Country Orchards. High Country is probably the most likely to ship. Hidden Acres has the best apple butter though and a lot of them make the best cider–no sugar added. All apple and more scrumptious than you would imagine!
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