What do you think of when you think of autumn? Pumpkins, vibrant foliage, football? Well, I think of apples; lots of apples.
Where I grew up, in Pennsylvania, you could always find yourself a few minutes away from an apple orchard. Every Saturday in the fall, at the height of apple season, we’d pick up gallons of fresh cider and rummage through barrels of red, green, and yellow varieties at one of our favorite orchards. Then, we’d head home and bake them whole or thinly slice them and make a juicy apple crisp. My favorite, though, was (and remains) freshly baked apple pie warm from the oven.
Yum! Different Types Of Apples For Different Types Of Healthy Meals
What can be a challenge is knowing the different types of apples and which one to use for whatever recipe you’re putting together. Below, I’ve listed four of my favorites and how best to use them.
The Honeycrisp
The Honeycrisps I’ve seen around the farmers markets here in New York are especially big and plump this year. They’re very good for eating out of hand and in salads as they have a super crisp texture.
The Cortland
Cortland apples are juicy with a very white flesh. Personally, they’re my favorite to eat out of hand. I just love their signature tartness. They’re also great for baking and are especially well suited for salads since they take much longer than other varieties to turn brown once they’re cut.
The McIntosh
McIntosh apples always bring me back to childhood. I remember having one everyday in my brown bag lunch for years. This popular variety is very good for applesauce because they cook down quickly, but I wouldn’t recommend them for pie for that very same reason.
The Crispin
Light yellow-green in color, Crispin apples are sweet and very crisp. As a kid, we always baked them whole with a little cinnamon and topped them with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream. They’re also very good for applesauce and eating raw. Dip them in a bit of almond butter and you’ve got yourself a tasty, healthy snack!
