An Apple A Day

SoOoOo everytime I go to the store to buy apples, I stand there like a lost little girl.  I never know which type of apple to buy because there are always new ones or the type I like doesn’t look fresh. So I went on a hunt for a variety of apples so we could taste test them and provide you with our results.  Here are the many types of apples (the most commonly sold in stores are in bold)…

• Akane: Best in August
• Ambrosia: Best in September, Must Refrigerate, Sweet & Crisp, Red with yellow patches
• Arkansas Black: Best in October, Dark purple color, good for baking & applesauce
• Black Twig: Best in October
• Blushing Gold: Best in October, waxy yellow & pink, cross of Jonathan & Golden Delicious, Keeps well
• Braeburn: Best in October, Red, Sweet
• Cameo: Best in October, Red/Yellow stripes
• Cortland: Best in September, Red/Yellow, Keeps well, Good for salads
• Early Gold: Best in August
• Enterprise: Best in October, Red, Stores well and lasts awhile
• Fuji: Best in October, Yellow/Green/Red, Very sweet, Best for eating, Good for applesauce
• Gala:  Best from Aug-September, Best for Sauces, Must Refrigerate, Sweet, Red/Yellow stripes, Heart shaped
• Golden Delicious: Best in September, White, Tender Skin, Good for Baking/Cooking, Good for Applesauce
• Granny Smith: Best in October, Green, Tart taste, Best for Baking
• Honey Crisp: Best in September, Red/Yellow, Sweet & Juicy, Good for Eating and Baking
• Jazz: Best in October, Cross between Gala & Braeburn, Very sweet & flavorful
• Jersey Mac: Best in August
• Jonathan: Best in September, Red/Yellow stripes, Sweet & Tart taste, Firm
• Jonagold: Best in September, Cross of Jonathan & Golden Delicious, Great for eating/baking/sauces
• Jonalicious: Best in September, Must refrigerate, Dark Red, More Flavorful & Juicy than the Jonathan
• Jubilee: Best in September-October
• Keepsake: Best in September-October, Red/Cream colored, Very sweet with high sugar content
• Liberty: Best in October, Red, Disease-resistant, Flavor improves in storage
• Lodi: Best in July, Must Refrigerate
• Macoun: Best in October, Red, Sweet
• McIntosh:  Best in September, Sweet & Mild flavor, Best for Baking
• Melrose: Best in October, Official apple of Ohio, Keeps well, Good for pies, Sweeter than Jonathan
• Northern Spy: Best in September-October, Large Red/Green
• Pacific Rose
• Paula Red: Best in August-September, Light Red, Tart taste
• Pink Lady: Best in October, Rich Red/Pink color, Very Sweet & Crisp
• Red Delicious: Best in September, Bright Red, Bruises easily, Does not keep well, Most popular apple in the world
• Rome: Best in October, Best for baking and cooking only, Bland flavor, Hard flesh
• Stayman: Best in October, Tart wine-like flavor, Dull Red, Stores well, Bruise resistant
• Suncrisp: Best in October, Red/Orange color, Hard & Tart, Good for Baking
• Sundance: Best in October, Yellow with Red Highlights, Sweet & Tart
• Sweet Tango: Best in August-September, Similar to Honeycrisp
• Yates: Best in October, Red/White, Small, Sweet
• York: Best in October, Red/Green, Lop-sided, Crisp & Flavorful

Our Taste Test Results…

We tried six different apples and scored them 0-10 based on taste  🙂

Braeburn 7.5/10 sweet, juicy *runner-up*

Fuji 5/10 not very sweet, somewhat juicy, a little tart

Gala 7/10 very juicy and crisp

Pink Lady 6/10 not juicy, kind of bland, a little sweet

Honeycrisp 8/10 sweet, juicy, and crisp *WINNER*

Red Delicious 4/10 bruised easily, didnt last long, crispy but bland