# Teach me how to buy apples **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707 "2003-11-17T15:30:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/1 "2003-11-17T15:30:34Z")
I love Gala apples. They’re sweet, and crisp, and don’t have too thick of a skin… … when they’re good. When they’re bad, they’re mushy and mealy and yucky. The trouble is, it seems like about half of the apples I buy are the latter, and I can’t tell how to differentiate prior to purchase. Is there some secret that mom forget to teach me to tell if an apples is yummy or nasty? I give 'em a squeeze before I buy them, but even the nasty ones feel firm. Please enlighten me. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/2 "2003-11-17T16:33:59Z")
I’ve yet to have a bad Fuji apple, and like you, I have no idea how to buy apples. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/3 "2003-11-17T17:00:08Z")
For commercial sale, apples are picked before they are ripe and place in controlled storage, so I would avoid the large chain supermarkets and head for the local orchard/markets. My research shows that gala apples are picked from Sept. thru Nov, and have a shelf life of 10 to 14 days. The mealy mushy apples are past their prime. Buy smaller fruit, with a nice bright skin. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/4 "2003-11-17T17:04:32Z")
[From the Joy of Baking website:](http://www.joyofbaking.com/apples.html) > [@](#): > > When choosing apples look for well-colored, firm apples with a fresh, never musty, smell. Apples should be smooth and free of soft spots, bruising, or holes. Larger apples tend to be mealier than smaller ones. ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/5 "2003-11-17T17:42:05Z")
I’ve found Granny Smiths and [Empire](http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/empire.html) apples to be the most reliable for tastiness. The latter have a crisp, sweet/tart taste that might substitute for your Gala, which I’ve never tried. For any apple, I look for a smallish one with a very glossy appearance, and for Granny Smiths I find the heart-shaped, darker green ones are much, much better than the ones that are more cylindrical and lighter green. (Shapes as viewed in side profile). And don’t buy fruit out of season; it will definitely be of lesser quality. See what **herman\_and\_bill** said. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/6 "2003-11-17T18:24:03Z")
I always smell my apples… if they smell mouthwateringly apple-y, and look unblemished, then they go in my basket. And after trying Gala and Fuji and Pink Lady apples, which are crunchy and tart and juicy and satisfying, I am completely mystified why Delicious still sell at all… they are mealy and have leathery skin and the last one I had was almost dessicated. Yet again, marketing outdoes content… ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/7 "2003-11-18T01:34:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anaptyxis \* > **\ much better than the ones that are more cylindrical and lighter green. (Shapes as viewed in side profile).** Apples have a side profile? ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-buy-apples/213707/8 "2003-11-18T17:27:30Z")
Right, you know, looking at it from the side. Definitely avoid apples with sloping foreheads.