What's you favorite apple?

[Figment]

Baking a pie seems to take 6 apples.
I like 4 Granny Smiths + 2 sweeter ones like MacCoun or Empire.

I dunno why I missed this on the first read-through, but yes absolutely! I usually mince the sweeter apples so that they melt in the pie.

[BrianY]

Granny Smith? I know, it's a 'proletarian' choice, but I love the tart flavor and firm flesh... they're never 'mealy'.

Nothing to be ashamed of, Norman. The Granny Smith is an "exotic import". It was developed in Australia in the 1860's. So we have Australia to thank for Granny Smith apples, huge cans of beer, Vegemite and AC/DC.

[Figment]

Nicole Kidman must always be at the top of the list of things for which we must thank Australia.
Yes, I forgive the little tom cruise misadventure.

[sharpiefan]

Fuji, Braeburn.


Wild Apples, HENRY DAVID THOREAU NOVEMBER 1862 (LINK)

The flowers of the apple are perhaps the most beautiful of any

tree's, so copious and so delicious to both sight and scent. The

walker is frequently tempted to turn and linger near some more

than usually handsome one, whose blossoms are two-thirds

expanded. How superior it is in these respects to the pear,

whose blossoms are neither colored nor fragrant!

By the middle of July, green apples are so large as to remind us

of coddling, and of the autumn. The sward is commonly

strewed with little ones which fall still-born, as it were,—Nature

thus thinning them for us. The Roman writer Palladius said,

—“If apples are inclined to fall before their time, a stone placed

in a split root will retain them.” Some such notion, still

surviving, may account for some of the stones which we see

placed to be overgrown in the forks of trees. They have a saying

in Suffolk, England,—

"At Michaelmas time, or a little before,

Half an apple goes to the core."

Early apples begin to be ripe about the first of August; but I

think that none of them are so good to eat as some to smell.

One is worth more to scent your hand-kerchief with than any

perfume which they sell in the shops. The fragrance of some

fruits is not to be forgotten, along with that of flowers. Some

gnarly apple which I pick up in the road reminds me by its

fragrance of all the wealth of Pomona,—carrying me forward to

those days when they will be collected in golden and ruddy

heaps in the orchards and about the cider-mills.

A week or two later, as you are going, by orchards or gardens,

especially in the evenings, you pass through a little region

possessed by the fragrance of ripe apples, and thus enjoy them

without price, and without robbing anybody.

There is thus about all natural products a certain volatile and

ethereal quality which represents their highest value...

[George Jung]

Love apple pie/crisp; generally *we* mix grannys with some other. Honey Crisp, pink lady, fuji, are all readily available, and good. But most aren't aware of how many varieties we used to have - and have, to a great extent, lost.

http://www.applesearch.org/


https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/g...macintosh.html

[Too Little Time]

My wife buys a variety of apples. Whatever is for sale. I like them all.

[ThomRose]

Granny Smith? I know, it's a 'proletarian' choice, but I love the tart flavor and firm flesh... they're never 'mealy'.

+1. Can't stand apples that are more sweet than tart, and if the texture is not crisp, yuck!

[woodpile]

Cider apples.

Knew a couple of old time cider (hard) makers and they always wanted russet apples. Having tasted it they probably knew what they we're doing. A very old variety that you see growing in a lot of overgrown orchards in the north east. Have tried some of the new "craft" ciders, not even close to the old stuff.

[woodpile]

There is a cider house in Massachusetts (the name escapes me at the moment) which, in addition to their standard offerings, does small-batch work with traditional/heritage varieties.

Some are very good, some.... well there seems to be a reason why they fell out of fashion.

My current go-to cider is the Dirty Mayor by Citizen Cider.

Ask an old time north east cider (hard) maker and they will probably tell you russet, one of those traditional/heritage varieties.

[Ted Hoppe]

Apple Bottom Jeans of course.

[Gerarddm]

Gala.

[johnw]

Royal Gala & Winesap.

Why can't I get varietal cider like I can get varietal wine?

[Canoeyawl]

With no mention of The Big (apple)

[ejds]

Another vote for Cox's Orange Pippin....my tree survived the excavator.

Also, Royal Gala and though I havent had them for years Golden Delicious. When average (not a good storer but age nicely) very average, but when good, sublime

The Cox' Orange is also my favorite but I can't find them in the US. Breaburn is the next one.

Egbert

[seanz]

They'll be around somewhere, keep looking. They are a short season apple with poor presentation so are rare on the shelves here too.

I have a Braeburn tree, fresh from the tree they are tarter and much less sugary

[Nicholas Carey]

Cider apples.

We got no... nay ... precious few sharps or bitters here in the Colonies.

[Nicholas Carey]

Nothing to be ashamed of, Norman. The Granny Smith is an "exotic import". It was developed in Australia in the 1860's. So we have Australia to thank for Granny Smith apples, huge cans of beer, Vegemite and AC/DC.

Enzed, actually. Granny Smith (she lived!) was a Kiwi.

[BrianY]

Not exactly. According to Wikipedia and many other sources, Maria Ann Smith emigrated from Sussex England to Eastwood, New South Wales Australia. The first plant was found among a pile of discarded cores of crab apples from Tasmania.

[Durnik]

Cortlands & Arkansas Blacks..

There was a tree on an old farm here in TN.. gone for years now, but had some splotchy green skinned apples started out tart & mellowed to sweet.. never did get their name & both the old woman & her farm (& tree) are long gone.. sooo, if there are any mid s'therneres who care to weigh in with possibilities, I'm all ears.. er, Eyes!