Why are certain apples considered cooking apples and others not. I always figured it was the texture, and the fact that they don’t taste particularly good in hand. Are only sour apples good cooking apples? What about Gala or Braeburn. They seem to have a good texture, but are not horribly sour.
Most apple recipes call for sugar, if the apples are sweet when you add the sugar it makes them sweeter and then you have to add lemon for tartness. It’s the tartness of the apples, not sourness, big difference when you talk about apples. Best cooking apples are Granny Smith, Mackintoshes, Braeburn, there are a few more but I can’t recall what they are. If the apples are on the sweet side they don’t hold up well in pies or pastries, but are realy good as applesause where you want it to fall apart and become mush.
The firmness, too. According to Alton Brown the firm Granny Smith are best. hehe firm granny:D
Moved from General Questions to Cafe Society.
samclem, moderator
WHEN you add the sugar as you are cooking apples has a lot to do with the finished product.
If you want the apples to break down completely, for applesauce or apple butter, do NOT add sugar until the texture you want has been achieved.
If you want the apples to remain firm, add the sugar as soon as you start cooking them.
The taste of the finished product determines which apples to use. If you like Gala or Braeburn as eating apples, try cooking a few and see how you like the texture and the taste.
~VOW