Mmmm, I love me some fruit. And apples are great. I like tartness more than sweetness, so I’m not a huge fan of, say, Red Delicious or Rome. Rather, these are the most consistently yummy varieties of apples that I’ve had:
York Imperial.So good. It’s a Pennsylvania/Virginia variety, so I don’t know the extent to which it’s available out of this area, but it’s easily the best apple I’ve ever had. Tart-sweet and crispy, and the meat isn’t mealy at all. Great to munch on.
[url=“http://www.applejournal.com/use002.htm”]Braeburn. This is my standard buy-it-in-the-grocery-store apple. They’re at their best when they’re firmest. Not so tart that you need to be in the mood for it (that’s the way Granny Smith is for me), and small enough to be the perfect size for a snack.
Overall, Granny Smith’s[I like 'em on the tart side as well] Royal Gala’s and Golden Delicious{NEVER, NEVER, NEVER the Red Delicious} are also very good. In the fall, if you can find 'em: Jonathans,Macouns, Northern Spye and Staymans[none of these have a great storage life] Pink Lady apples almost taste like they have cinnamon on them, nice and spicy.
i’m a Braeburn and Pink Lady lover myself. My favorite though is in he fall when the aple orchards are peaking. I go in and taste a little of each variety and pick the one I like best to buy. I can’t even remember all the names, it is different each time. Hurry up fall! Uhh…I shouldn’t say that, it seems like summer just started.
Pippin, Pippin and Pippin again. The first month of the season, when they are crisp and tart and o so delicious. Other than that, a napple’s a napple. Except yellow delicious. gah.
Galas are nice. I miss Lady in the Snow, and Cox’s Orange Pippin, neither of which we seem to be able to get around here. Lady in the Snow is a small, dark red apple with very white flesh, Cox’s is, well, duh, orangeish and striped, also small, with a distinct rattle from the seeds. They’re both very crisp and a delight to bite into.
If I get them at the store, it’s only Granny Smith. Tart crunchy apples are the only way to go. Red delcious apples are nasty. If I get to go to an orchard, then it’s macintosh or northern spye.
This is my sixteenth year as a professional apple picker. For eating and picking, my all-time fave is the Empire apple. Tastes great, consistently productive trees, don’t bruise easily, and I can grab three at once.
The latest and greatest dessert apple around here is the Honeycrisp. Big, juicy, sweet and tasty. Better than Jonagold.
For eating and picking, my all-time fave is the Empire apple. Tastes great, consistently productive trees, don’t bruise easily, and I can grab three at once.