Agreed. Give me a Granny Smith and I am happy…
Oh, and the cultivar that I pick up whenever it’s in the store is “Ambrosia”. Better than Pink Ladies or Honeysweets, IMNSHO
The best apple I’ve ever had is something called a Suncrisp. Never seen them in the stores–only when I go picking at the orchard, and the season is ridiculously short. But they’re lovely.
Gala, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp are my favorites. Galas and Granny Smiths seem to be consistently good no matter where I get them. I’ve only had a few Honeycrisps. A friend in Minnesota raved about them and I had never heard of them, so he sent me a box. The smell as I opened the box was delightful, and I ate the first one in five minutes. (in fairness, I hadn’t eaten since lunch, which was nearly six hours before that) I need to get some more sometime.
The thing with Red Delicious for me (other than the mealiness and general lack of flavor) is the skin…it’s way too thick and it’s really bitter. If I try to eat a Red Delicious out of hand, I end up chewing on the skin from the last bite I took for four or five minutes, just because I can’t stand the thought of it sliding down my throat. Ghaaaa!
Never mind…
Any of the “delicious” varieties are almost invariably foul and inedible. Ditto Granny Smiths. The best way to make sure that an apple will be good is to get it in season (Sept-spring), preferably organic, preferably from somewhere nearby (but the pacific northwest is best). Pink Lady (my #1), Cameo, Honeycrisp (my #2), Gala, Ambrosia are all good. If they’re very firm, dense, and shiny they’re probably good; if your thumb can dent it readily it is likely to be mealy. I spent my childhood thinking that apples were nasty, soggy, flavorless wads of mush to be endured. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Me too. It was all red delicious and macintosh back then. Bleh.
What a delight to discover that apples are actually wonderful!
Golden Delicious ain’t bad, but they’re not crisp.
Around here I’ve been seeing Jazz much more frequently than in prior years, and they’re quite good. Fuji, Braeburn, and Gala are always reliable. Honeycrisps are nice, but I don’t find them in the supermarkets here, only at farmer’s markets which are too expensive given how many apples we go through in a week in the Cliffy household.
–Cliffy
I like Fuji and Gala. My husband brought home some Golden Delicious which I’d always avoided just because of the name, turns out they were very good, crisp and juicy, nice balance of sweet and tart. It was my granddaughter that made me notice that Red Delicious just aren’t that good.
The Granny Smiths have started sucking lately, I’ve noticed. I also notice they’re prettier and more regular than they used to be. I think the Curse of the Red Delicious has struck again.
I like a Staymen Winesap when they are in season (fall). Just say the name - Winesap - how can you not love it? It’s generally considered a cooking apple I think but works for me as a sort of cors between a granny and a regular sweet red apple.
When I select apples I go by weight. Juicy apples should seem heavy for their size. I’m not always successful though, to the point that I tend to not even bother with apples from the grocery store anymore. I’ve been burned (or is that mealied?) too many times.
Ginger Gold is my personal favorite: they are crisp to the point of cleaving like a crystal rather than cutting when you push on them with a knife.
When I have to buy store apples, I toss the apple gently in my hand a few times, listening to the sound it makes as it slaps my palm. Mealy apples make a dull thud but crisp apples make more of a ‘ping’ or ‘snap’: kind of like the difference in sound made by dribbling a fully-inflated basketball vs. a flat ball. The test is gentle enough that the apple isn’t damaged.
Among red apples of the same type, those with green highlights are less likely to be mealy than those with yellow highlights.
Red Delicious look pretty, but I found they’re not very flavorful. I’ve been picking up (Galas? Fujis? They’re smaller and more pink and gold) and the kids can’t get enough. I also like plums and pluots.
I hated apples growing up, wouldn’t touch them. Then I was introduced to Fujis in college. I love them now but only if I get Fuji, Gala, or Braeburns. I haven’t tried Honey Crisps or Pink Ladies yet.
Golden Delicious and Jonathons, both more mealy apples, do make good apple juice though.
I had my first homegrown apple tonight. Tart yet delicious. I’m only eating the dropped apples for now. I never get sick of these apples.
That reminds me, has anyone seen any Winesaps for sale in the stores the last few years? I like that type of apple.
As for Red Delicious (or any other apple), I think your odds of getting a good one are increased if the shipment at the store is a new crop that’s at grown regionally or locally.
Any breed of apple can be mealy - so you can’t avoid mealiness simply by buying only certain types. Some breeds do keep better than others (Macintosh, a tasty apple when freshpicked, are notorious for not keeping well and becoming disgustingly mealy). Apples in season, of course, are more likely to be fresh and juicy.
Juicy, crisp apples are hard. If I can dent the flesh by pressing as hard as I can with my thumb, I don’t buy them, period. I only buy those I cannot dent after squeezing as hard as I can. I have found that this is the most effective measure of whether the apple is crisp inside.
My mouth is watering just thinking about eating a Honeycrisp again. They should be in stores fairly soon.
Hmm. I’ve always wondered why all the apples I feel at the store have that one round little bruise in them. :mad: