Apples are a great source of vitamins A and C. They contain a healthy dose of quercetin, a powerful flavonoid with antioxidant properties, which helps protect the heart and arteries, and may help combat some cancers. Consuming the fruit itself rather than drinking apple juice is best since 80 percent of the quercetin is lost during processing.
Braeburn
Mottled red and yellow skin with flesh that’s sweet and tart with a hint of spice, the Braeburn’s has a firm texture that makes it an excellent choice for pies.
Cripps Pink
One of the newer varieties, this apple has a green background blushed with pinkish-red hues. It’s tart, tangy and crisp, and excellent in salads, pies and sauces.
Fuji
Greenish-yellow blushed with red and a super sweet and juicy flesh, Fujis are excellent fresh in salads, but also great in pies or baked.
Gala
Gala apples feature streaks of red and yellow, and are sweet in flavor with a snappy texture. They’re perfect for snacks and salads, as well as in sauces.
Golden Delicious
Yellow green skin with a sweet, mellow flavor and flesh that resists browning, these juicy gems are great all-around apples. They’re the perfect choice for all your needs—snacks, salads, pies, sauces, baking and poaching.
Granny Smith
Freckled green with a tart yet sweet flavor, this apple is a favorite for dipping into caramel, as well as baking into pies.
Jonagold
This variety is a cross between a Jonathan and Golden Delicious with a tangy-sweet flavor and crisp texture. They are excellent in pies and sauces, or baked whole.
Red Delicious
Brilliant red with an elongated shape, this sweet and crisp variety is great along with peanut butter for snacking or tossed into salads for extra crunch.
Favorite Apple Applications
Already a favorite in sweet desserts like pies, cakes, tarts, and crisps, apples are a wonderful addition to savory dishes as well. We’ve profiled a few examples of how to best take advantage of this fruit when its at its peak.
Apple Cider Reduction
Apple cider reduction is everything wonderful about fall, condensed into one syrup. It is pure, distilled essence of apple. Creating an apple cider reduction is as simple as boiling apple cider to one seventh of its original volume. Use this sauce to baste and glaze meats. Drizzle it over desserts such as ice cream and apple pies or whisk it into frosting.
Apple Sauce
Add it to desserts like a parfait, use it to create a rich and creamy vinaigrette, or add it to cheesy dishes like mac and cheese.
Chutney
Chutney is a favorite condiment for everything from cheese to roasts. Unlike applesauce, with its subtle sweet flavor, apple chutney is not only sweet, but also sour and spicy. Spread it on sandwiches, or slather it on burgers.
Apple Butter
Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of applesauce created by cooking apples slowly with cider until the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The rich, complex flavors of apple butter adds dimension to pork chops or chicken, and also works well spread atop latkes and pancakes.
Sauerkraut and Slaw
Sauerkraut undergoes an amazing transformation when gently simmered with apples and white wine. The crispness of the cabbage gives way to silkiness, while the fruit and a spoonful or two of brown sugar offset its acidity. An apple slaw is another great way to marry the bitterness of cabbage and the sweetness of apples.
