image from pinterset.co.uk
West Fork United Methodist Church had a very successful Ice Cream Social on the 6th. Thanks to all that came, and thanks to all that worked it. Donations will go to a local Vietnam Veterans group. Now we are having a couple of days of warmth, but nothing like out west with temperatures in the 100’s. Looks like rain for the weekend. I am still working with plants in the greenhouse. Soon need to start moving some more in. Work here with the greenhouse is never completed. I will be getting tomatoes today to work on. I am excited because I do love the art of canning. I will let you know how it goes as I just got a new electric water bath canner. Hope all of you are well, and busy with the garden produce. Stay safe…. Now how about picking the right apples for the right cooking. I have always wondered myself, so here it a good article on that.
Choosing the Right Apples for Apple Pies and Other Recipes
Not all apples are ideal for cooking! In this article, we share some of best apples for baking and cooking—including the best apples for apple pies, best apples for making applesauce, best apples for apple cider, and best apples for apple butter. Hooray for apple season!
Choosing the Right Apple Variety
Ever eaten a mushy apple pie? Often, this is the result of the baker using a soft apple variety that doesn’t hold up in the oven. When you use the right kinds of apples in your recipes, your dishes can go from good to delicious!
Amy Traverso, apple expert and author of the award-winning The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, shares a couple important tips for apple pies:
For apple pies and crisps, use “firm” apples which hold their shape during cooking.
Ideally, bake a pie with more than one apple—an equal amount of 1. “firm-tart” and 2. “firm-sweet” apples for depth of flavor. (See chart below.)
The Best Apples for Baking
Below is a list of the best apples for baking and cooking. Note that some familiar apple varieties may be missing because they are best eaten fresh. If you have apple varieties in your region that aren’t listed here, please comment below and let us know what you prefer to use!
Best Apples for Pies and Crisps
Here’s a list of best apple varieties for pie and baked dessert, which has some good geographical diversity in it:
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Firm-Tart
Arkansas Black Pie A favorite of many Southern cooks, with deep red skin that turns purple-black in storage. Aromatic, crisp, with a cherry-spice finish.
Calville Blanc d’Hiver Pie, Tarts A French apple that dates back to the 16th century, it is the classic variety used in tarte tatin.
Granny Smith Pie Classic “green apple” is slightly sour and a favorite apple for pie. Available in supermarkets everywhere.
Newtown Pippin Pie Sweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Northern Spy Pie Our favorite apple variety for pie-making
Rhode Island Greening Pie Very tart, distinctively flavored, grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange
Roxbury Russet Pie America’s oldest apple, it’s heavily russeted and tastes like honeyed lemonade. Flesh is dense and rather coarse. A great keeper.
Sierra Beauty Stayman Winesaps Pie Popular on the West Coast, Sierra Beauty is complex and tart-sweet with floral and spice flavors.
Firm-Sweet
Baldwin Pie A New England favorite, this fruit is prized for both cooking and cider. Very aromatic, with spice and apricot flavors.
Ginger Gold Pie, Muffins, Cakes Sweet and crisp. Great for pie and light baking.
Golden Delicious Pie Fairly mild variety but easily found. Tastes best when paired with bolder apples.
Gravenstein Pie A California favorite, the Gravenstein ripens early. Sweet-tart with a hint of raspberry. Very juice and tender, but bakes well.
Honeycrisp Pie Crisp, with balanced sweetness and acidity. Doesn’t brown quickly when sliced.
Jazz Pie, Raw snacks Exceptional taste and found in supermarkets year-round.
Jonagold Pie Yellow top, red bottom. Tangy-tart-sweet combo. Cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious and could fill a pie on its own.
Pink Lady Pie, Baking, Snacking Balance of sweet and sour undertones and widely available in supermarkets any time of the year.
York Pie A great all-purpose apple popular in the mid-Atlantic region. Honey and vanilla flavors dominate and the flesh is juicy and fine-grained.
Best Apples for Applesauce
Below is a list of apples which are best for sauces and fresh preparation. Softer apples tend to work best for sauces as well as baking dishes that cook quickly, like muffins. Use firmer apples (such as above) for dishes that cook 45 minutes or more.
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Cortland Applesauce Tender-sweet, these large purple-red apples with yellow streaks red-blushed apples are moderately juicy and fairly sweet compared to McIntosh.
Macoun Applesauce Striated green and red color, these tender apples have snow white flesh and a sweet tart flavor with a hint of strawberry and spice.
Empire Applesauce, Fruit Salad Doesn’t brown quicky when sliced
Cox’s Orange Pippin Applesauce Lightly red-striped with an orange huge, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance.
Davey Applesauce Red with some light yellow striping and small dots, this Mac-type apple is sweet-tart, very juicy, and crunchy.
Jonathan Applesauce Tart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntosh Applesauce Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
Liberty Applesauce A popular apple for organic growers, it’s naturally resistant to disease and pests. Tender and sweet, great for sauces, with a wine-like flavor.
Best Apples for Cider
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Baldwin Cider Crimson red with coppery green skin, Baldwin’s cream-white flesh is crisp and juicy with a spicy, sweet-tart flavor that’s great for cider.
Gravenstein Cider Heirloom apple with a thin skin and a juicy, sweet flavor
Esopus Spizenburg Cider
McIntosh Cider Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
Cox’s Orange Pippin Cider Lightly red-striped with an orange huge, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance that’s great for cider.
Snow Apple Cider
Goldrush Cider
Stayman Winesap Cider Very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic, sturdy, red skin
Best Apples for Apple Butter
Soft apples work best for apple butter because they cook down faster. Use any mix of apples.
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Braeburn Apple Butter
Cortland Apple Butter
Fuji Apple Butter
McIntosh Apple Butter Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin
Liberty Apple Butter
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/best-apples-baking-and-cooking
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
Choosing the Right Apples for Apple Pies and Other Recipes
Not all apples are ideal for cooking! In this article, we share some of best apples for baking and cooking—including the best apples for apple pies, best apples for making applesauce, best apples for apple cider, and best apples for apple butter. Hooray for apple season!
Choosing the Right Apple Variety
Ever eaten a mushy apple pie? Often, this is the result of the baker using a soft apple variety that doesn’t hold up in the oven. When you use the right kinds of apples in your recipes, your dishes can go from good to delicious!
Amy Traverso, apple expert and author of the award-winning The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, shares a couple important tips for apple pies:
For apple pies and crisps, use “firm” apples which hold their shape during cooking.
Ideally, bake a pie with more than one apple—an equal amount of 1. “firm-tart” and 2. “firm-sweet” apples for depth of flavor. (See chart below.)
The Best Apples for Baking
Below is a list of the best apples for baking and cooking. Note that some familiar apple varieties may be missing because they are best eaten fresh. If you have apple varieties in your region that aren’t listed here, please comment below and let us know what you prefer to use!
Best Apples for Pies and Crisps
Here’s a list of best apple varieties for pie and baked dessert, which has some good geographical diversity in it:
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Firm-Tart
Arkansas Black Pie A favorite of many Southern cooks, with deep red skin that turns purple-black in storage. Aromatic, crisp, with a cherry-spice finish.
Calville Blanc d’Hiver Pie, Tarts A French apple that dates back to the 16th century, it is the classic variety used in tarte tatin.
Granny Smith Pie Classic “green apple” is slightly sour and a favorite apple for pie. Available in supermarkets everywhere.
Newtown Pippin Pie Sweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Northern Spy Pie Our favorite apple variety for pie-making
Rhode Island Greening Pie Very tart, distinctively flavored, grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange
Roxbury Russet Pie America’s oldest apple, it’s heavily russeted and tastes like honeyed lemonade. Flesh is dense and rather coarse. A great keeper.
Sierra Beauty Stayman Winesaps Pie Popular on the West Coast, Sierra Beauty is complex and tart-sweet with floral and spice flavors.
Firm-Sweet
Baldwin Pie A New England favorite, this fruit is prized for both cooking and cider. Very aromatic, with spice and apricot flavors.
Ginger Gold Pie, Muffins, Cakes Sweet and crisp. Great for pie and light baking.
Golden Delicious Pie Fairly mild variety but easily found. Tastes best when paired with bolder apples.
Gravenstein Pie A California favorite, the Gravenstein ripens early. Sweet-tart with a hint of raspberry. Very juice and tender, but bakes well.
Honeycrisp Pie Crisp, with balanced sweetness and acidity. Doesn’t brown quickly when sliced.
Jazz Pie, Raw snacks Exceptional taste and found in supermarkets year-round.
Jonagold Pie Yellow top, red bottom. Tangy-tart-sweet combo. Cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious and could fill a pie on its own.
Pink Lady Pie, Baking, Snacking Balance of sweet and sour undertones and widely available in supermarkets any time of the year.
York Pie A great all-purpose apple popular in the mid-Atlantic region. Honey and vanilla flavors dominate and the flesh is juicy and fine-grained.
Best Apples for Applesauce
Below is a list of apples which are best for sauces and fresh preparation. Softer apples tend to work best for sauces as well as baking dishes that cook quickly, like muffins. Use firmer apples (such as above) for dishes that cook 45 minutes or more.
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Cortland Applesauce Tender-sweet, these large purple-red apples with yellow streaks red-blushed apples are moderately juicy and fairly sweet compared to McIntosh.
Macoun Applesauce Striated green and red color, these tender apples have snow white flesh and a sweet tart flavor with a hint of strawberry and spice.
Empire Applesauce, Fruit Salad Doesn’t brown quicky when sliced
Cox’s Orange Pippin Applesauce Lightly red-striped with an orange huge, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance.
Davey Applesauce Red with some light yellow striping and small dots, this Mac-type apple is sweet-tart, very juicy, and crunchy.
Jonathan Applesauce Tart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntosh Applesauce Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
Liberty Applesauce A popular apple for organic growers, it’s naturally resistant to disease and pests. Tender and sweet, great for sauces, with a wine-like flavor.
Best Apples for Cider
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Baldwin Cider Crimson red with coppery green skin, Baldwin’s cream-white flesh is crisp and juicy with a spicy, sweet-tart flavor that’s great for cider.
Gravenstein Cider Heirloom apple with a thin skin and a juicy, sweet flavor
Esopus Spizenburg Cider
McIntosh Cider Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
Cox’s Orange Pippin Cider Lightly red-striped with an orange huge, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance that’s great for cider.
Snow Apple Cider
Goldrush Cider
Stayman Winesap Cider Very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic, sturdy, red skin
Best Apples for Apple Butter
Soft apples work best for apple butter because they cook down faster. Use any mix of apples.
Name Best Uses Flavor Characteristics, Appearance
Braeburn Apple Butter
Cortland Apple Butter
Fuji Apple Butter
McIntosh Apple Butter Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin
Liberty Apple Butter
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/best-apples-baking-and-cooking
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
