Apple Pyrus malus. Rose Family.
There are about 7,500 varieties of apples in the world, so even if you tried a different apple every day it would take you nearly 20 years to sample the entire spectrum. However, this is an unlikely way to spend two decades because the most common varieties can actually be found in the U.S.—Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, and McIntosh.
Grown in temperate regions, apples are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. Around 12 varieties are commonly sold in UK supermarkets, of which many are imported.
Colours range from red, to yellow and green, but all varieties fall into one of two categories: eating, also sometimes called dessert apples (including Cox's Orange Pippin, Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Braeburn, Gala, Pink Lady and Jonagold) or cooking, with the latter being more tart in flavour, a result of their higher levels of malic acid (the best is Bramley, though Blenheim Orange, Grenadier, Reverend W Wilkes and Ida Red are also available). The texture can be very crisp and juicy or more yielding, according to variety.
All apples are a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as fibre.
Availability
Varieties
Golden Delicious has firm, white flesh and sweet crisp flavor. It is the preferred "all purpose" cooking apple since it retains its shape and rich, mellow flavor when baked or cooked. Its skin is so tender and thin that it doesn't require peeling for most recipes. Golden Delicious is very good in fresh salads and freezes well.
Fuji's spicy, crisp sweetness and firm flesh make it an excellent fresh eating apple. It's also good in baking or applesauce and stores well. Fuji flavor improves in storage like fine wine. Fuji skin color varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red. It was bred from a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties in Japan.
Gala is one of my absolute favorites for fresh eating. It is heart-shaped with distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. Gala is just the right size for snacking and is great in salads, good for baking and very good in applesauce.
Braeburn has high impact flavor. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. It's also good in baking, applesauce and for freezing. Braeburn color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red. Braeburn was discovered as a chance seedling near Nelson, New Zealand in 1952. Its probable parents are Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith.
Granny Smith has crisp mouth-watering tartness. Bright green Granny Smith has a pink blush. Its tartness really comes through when baked and sautéed.
Jonagold is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor with firm flesh. Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.
Winesap is the apple with old-fashioned flavor. Winesap has a spicy almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker's first choice. Violet red in color, it's great as a snack and in salads.
Arkansas Black is well named with a deep red, almost black skin. It is rock hard, sweet and tart and a long storage apple.
Rome is the baker's buddy. Its mild flavor grows richer when baked or sautéed. Rome has smooth, blazingly red skin with sweet, slightly juicy flesh.
Golden DeliciousFuji's spicy, crisp sweetness and firm flesh make it an excellent fresh eating apple. It's also good in baking or applesauce and stores well. Fuji flavor improves in storage like fine wine. Fuji skin color varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red. It was bred from a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties in Japan.
Gala is one of my absolute favorites for fresh eating. It is heart-shaped with distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. Gala is just the right size for snacking and is great in salads, good for baking and very good in applesauce.
Braeburn has high impact flavor. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. It's also good in baking, applesauce and for freezing. Braeburn color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red. Braeburn was discovered as a chance seedling near Nelson, New Zealand in 1952. Its probable parents are Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith.
Granny Smith has crisp mouth-watering tartness. Bright green Granny Smith has a pink blush. Its tartness really comes through when baked and sautéed.
Jonagold is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor with firm flesh. Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.
Winesap is the apple with old-fashioned flavor. Winesap has a spicy almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker's first choice. Violet red in color, it's great as a snack and in salads.
Arkansas Black is well named with a deep red, almost black skin. It is rock hard, sweet and tart and a long storage apple.
Rome is the baker's buddy. Its mild flavor grows richer when baked or sautéed. Rome has smooth, blazingly red skin with sweet, slightly juicy flesh.
Disease Resistant
Some disease resistant and tasty varieties have been developed through a joint breeding program of Purdue, Rutgers and University of Illinois. Prima, Priscilla, Priam, Sir Prize, Jonafree, Redfree, Dayton, William's Pride and McShay varieties came out of this program. The University of Illinois continues to work toward disease resistant, high quality apples. (Source: Sandra Mason, Horticulture & Environment, University of Illinois Extension)
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