What kind of apples for baking

It is one of the best all-around cooking apples , as it maintains its shape after baking. One of the most popular tart apples, Granny Smiths are crisp and quite sour. They're a good all-purpose cooking apple , and their flavor is enhanced when paired with sweeter, spicier apples in pies and crisps.

Gravensteins come in red or yellow varieties, with a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture. They're excellent apples for eating fresh as well as baking, cooking down into applesauce, and pressing into cider.

They have a very short season and don't keep well, so snap them up when you see them at a farmers' market or farm stand. Developed in Minnesota, Honeycrisps are fantastic eating apples.

As the name indicates, they are crisp and juicy, with a honey-sweet and tart flavor. Honeycrisps are also good for baking and applesauce. A very old variety, Ida Reds have a tangy flavor and a flesh that is sometimes tinted a rosy pink. Ida Red apples make beautiful applesauce : cook the apples with the skins on and strain the sauce to get the best pink color.

Ida Reds keep their shape during baking and are also excellent in salads and for freezing. A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, Jonagolds have a tangy-sweet flavor. With a yellow-green base and a blush stripe, is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking. Jonathans are quite tart, with a rich, slightly spicy apple flavor. They hold their shape well when baked. They are also good in salads and for applesauce.

Sweet and aromatic, Macouns are excellent for snacking, in salads and for sauce. With bright red skin and juicy white flesh, they make an attractive apple on a cheese plate. A classic bright red apple with green undertones, juicy, crisp McIntoshes tend to break down when cooked. They are delicious eaten out of hand or in sauce, and are best paired with Golden Delicious or other apples in pies and other baked goods.

This large, yellow-green fruit is very juicy and super crisp. Goldens also make great applesauce and apple butter, and will dress up any salad.

A relative of the McIntosh, this versatile red apple is a favorite for out-of-hand eating, but it is also delicious in dessert recipes. When cut, the snow-white flesh keeps its color longer than other apples.

A touch of tartness gives it a kick, and the crisp flesh will help your pie stay higher and have better shape. Cortlands also do nicely in salads and kabobs. They've got great consistency and flavor. They're harder and crunchier than most apples, and have a mostly sweet, mildly tart flavor. They're difficult to come by, though, because they're biannual—meaning they only yield a big crop every other year.

Your best bet is to get these directly from a grower. With a crisp bite and a mellow sweetness, the Gala complements any recipe—you can even get away with using less sugar because of its natural sweetness. The crispness helps it retain its shape throughout baking so it doesn't get mealy. By The editors of MidwestLiving.

Pin More. Apple-Pear Praline Pie. Start Slideshow. Find your favorite apple. Jonathans and Jonagolds. Granny Smith. Winesap apple. Credit: Courtesy Chris Ellenbogen. Rome Beauty. How do I know what apple to choose? The best apples are the ones that are in season. Out-of-season apples have been kept in storage, which affects their freshness, crispness, and juiciness. Look for firm apples with no bruises or bug holes. Unripe apples will be overly hard and too green or yellow for their variety.

Fresh, ripe apples will have a strong apple aroma. The more the merrier! The general rule is that about sliced or chopped apples make for a perfect 9inch pie. How many apples do I need for most crisps? You will need 4 to 6 cups of sliced apples.