Selecting Apples for Fall Recipes

For every recipe, there is a perfect apple variety to use.

By Jenny Peterson

Autumn is apple-harvesting time. A trip to the farmers' market or grocery store will reveal dozens of apple varieties for harvest cooking— just the thought of pies, cobblers, applesauce, and cider makes us feel all warm and cozy. But which apples should you use for which recipe? After all, some apples are sweet while others are crisp and tart, and some are red while others are green, gold, or even pink. Does it make a difference which apple you choose for a recipe? Yes! Follow this handy guide when reaching for your favorite apple recipe this fall.

 

Baking

Pies, cobblers, crisps, tortes, muffins, and spice cakes make up the bulk of our apple recipes. Both tart and sweet apples will work, and while the Granny Smith has long been heralded as the best for baking, there are many more varieties to reach for. Try Rome, Winesap, Baldwin, Golden Delicious, and Ultra Gold.

 

Snacking/Salads

Certain apples are perfect for slicing up for a snack or adding to Waldorf salads, beet and apple salads, and salads with a mix of apples, greens, walnuts, and blue cheese. At the top of my list is the delicious (yet expensive) Honeycrisp, followed by Red Delicious, Fuji, Braeburn, Gala, and Cameo.

 

Applesauce and Apple Butter

There's nothing better than homemade applesauce and apple butter—the store-bought versions just can't compare. For best results, use McIntosh, Gala, Rome, and Baldwin.

 

Cider

Russet apples are the best for cider, but they can be difficult to locate, so look for Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji.

 

All-Purpose

These are the apple all-stars—they'll perform well for you however you use them. Try Cortland, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Ultra Gold, and Jonathan.

 

Freezing

Many varieties are great for freezing, but among the best are Cripps Pink, Cameo, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold. While it's great to have apples for year-round use in cooking, be aware that freezing changes the texture of apples, so don't plan to snack on previously frozen apples or use them in salads.

 

This is not an exhaustive list of apple varieties for your fall recipes, but it's a good starting point for ideas. Many recipes will suggest a particular apple to use, but if yours doesn't, this guide will be helpful.