Apples are synonymous with fall. Every September, grocery store aisles fill up with dozens of apple varieties. These are some of the types of apples you’ll find this year, what to expect, and the best ways to use them.
Honeycrisp
In the past few years, Honeycrisp apples have skyrocketed in popularity. Their crisp white flesh and mild sweetness makes them perfect for eating raw, either whole or sliced and added to salads. Honeycrisp apple season ranges from late August to mid September.
Fuji
Fujis are a light pinkish red apple with yellow flesh. This variety was developed at a research center in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan, and that’s how they got their name. These typically large apples can remain fresh for up to a year. They’re perfect for making sauce or salads. Fuji apples are also good for baking.
Pink Lady
Pink Lady is the trademarked name for the Cripps Pink apple. This apple variety is both tart and sweet. This tartness makes it a good choice for baking.
Gala
Gala apples are in season from mid-August to September. Their flavor is mildly sweet and juicy. These dark pink apples are perfect for slicing and including in salads.
Granny Smith
Granny Smiths are bright green apples with a firm flesh and a tart flavor. Their lemon-like acidity may make them too tart to eat whole, but these apples will hold their structure well in baked goods and will benefit from the added sugar.
Red Delicious
Red delicious apples are known for their bright red skin. These apples are sweet and juicy, with minimal tartness. They are best eaten raw or in salads. Their high-sugar level and soft flesh are not ideal for baking.
Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious apples are a sunny yellow color. These mild and sweet apples are extremely versatile. They’re good for baking, eating, and using in salads.
Cortland
Cortland apples were developed at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. They’re named for the nearby Cortland County in New York state. Cortland apples are a hybrid of sweet McIntosh apples and hearty Ben Davis apples. The result is a sweet but firm apple perfect for eating raw.
McIntosh
McIntosh apples are the national apple of Canada. They have green and red skin and white flesh. McIntosh apples are in season in September. These tart and fragrant apples are good for baking or eating raw.
Jonagold
Jonagold apples were developed in 1953 at Cornell University. This mild fruit is a hybrid of Golden Delicious and Jonathan apples. This crossbreeding led to a large golden-and blush-colored apple with thin skin and a sweet flesh. Jonagold apples are good for slicing or baking.
Empire
Empires apples have a deep red skin and firm, yellowish flesh. They have a sweet and complex flavor. Empire apples are good for eating fresh, making applesauce and serving in salads.
Melrose
Melrose apples are the official apple of Ohio. Melrose apples are large, with yellowish-green skin and dark red streaks. Melrose apples are perfect to use in pies and for other baking projects. They keep well, and their flavor may actually improve as they’re stored.
Suncrisp
Suncrisp, is a crisp, firm yellow apple with a red blush. Suncrisp apples were developed in New Jersey at Rutgers University. They were developed by cross-breeding Golden Delicious, Cortland, and Cox’s Orange Pippin apples. Suncrisp apples are good for slicing or baking.
Braeburn
Braeburn apples have bright red skin with some yellow coloring. Their flesh is firm, and they have a sweet and mild flavor. Braeburn apples are good for baking and eating, and will store well.
Looking for something to bake with all these apples? Try this recipe for homemade apple pie bars.
