Even
the word “clichéd” is too clichéd to describe the adage “An apple a
day keeps the doctor away”. Most of us know of its properties as one of
the best instant and healthy snacks that people of all ages love to
munch on. Most of us fall in love with the crispy tartness outside and
the juicy sweetness inside. Apples are rich in iron, vitamin C, and
many other essential vitamins, not to mention a lot of roughage and
complex carbohydrates, instead of just simple ones like glucose or
fructose. We all know that there are many varieties of apples available
in the market, but did we know that there are more than 50 different
varieties of them available in nature. Some of them are high on
tartness and some are sweet, some have a fleshy outer covering while
others have a softer outer skin. Some are excellent for baking, some
for making pies, tossed salads, some are excellent for freezing, yet
others make a good snack, while a wide variety are good for at least
two or more of the above. Some of the most common varieties are
mentioned here.
Different Types Of Apples
Here are some of the different varieties of apples found in nature:
Braeburn
The
Braeburn apple usually is orange to red in color on top of a yellow
background. This apple is excellent for snacking and good in salads,
pies, sauces, baking and freezing. These apples are available from
October to July.
Cameo
The
Cameo apple has white spots on a red skin. This apple is excellent for
snacking, salads, pies, sauces, baking and good for freezing. The
Cameo apple is harvested in September and October and is available to
consumers from October to August.
Cortland
The
Cortland apple is a sweet red apple over a greenish-yellow background
that comes with just a trace of tartness. This type of apple is a good
choice for snacking, salads, pies, sauces, baking and good for
freezing. The Cortland apple is available from September to April.
Baldwin
The
Baldwin is an all-purpose red-skinned apple, which is mottled and has
streaks of yellow on it, with a mildly sweet-tart flavor. This apple is
fairly crisp texture, and originates from the New York region,
available from October to April.
Fuji
The
Fuji apple is a sweet, reddish-pink apple that was introduced to the
U.S. from Japan, which is where it derives its name from (Mt Fuji).
This apple is a good choice for snacking and good in salads, pies,
sauces and baking. The Fuji apple is not a good apple for freezing.
This variety is available from October to August.
Gala
The
Gala apple can be distinguished by its pinkish stripes over a yellow
background. The apple is sweet and is excellent for snacking, salads,
and sauces. It is good for pies and baking, though one wouldn’t
recommend it as freezing apple. Gala apples are available from
September to May.
Granny Smith
The
Granny Smith variety is crisp and juicy, with freckled green skin and
sweetly tart flesh. It is one of the best choices for eating and
cooking, is grown in New Zealand, Australia, California, and Arizona,
which makes it available year-round. It can be stored in the fridge for
a maximum of 240 days.
Ginger Gold
One
of the early season varieties, this yellow apple has a sweet but
mildly tart flavor. The Ginger Gold apple makes an excellent choice for
snacking and salads. It is a good choice for pies, sauces, and baking
too. This apple, however, is not a good candidate for freezing. The
variety of apple is available August through November.
Honeycrisp
Honeycrisp
is red and yellow and is a relatively new variety, which made its
first appearance to the retail world in 1991. Since it is sweet and
crisp it makes an excellent snacking apple, and is good for salads,
sauces, and freezing. This apple is also good for use in baking, but it
is not recommended for use in pies.
Jonathan Apple
The
Jonathan variety is spicy and fragrant, juicy, sweet-tart, is good for
cooking, except when cooked whole and is excellent for snacking. It
can be stored in the refrigerator for a good 120 days.
Idared
The
Idared is one a sweet and tart apple that is one of the most versatile
varieties. This apple works wonder as a snacking apple, as a freezing
or even a baking apple, for making pies as well as sauces. This apple
is available from October to August.
McIntosh
The
McIntosh is brilliant green variety of apple that is sweet with just a
trace of tartness. This apple is a favorite in lunchboxes, which makes
this variety of apple excellent for snacking and for making sauces.
The McIntosh apple does come across as a baking or freezing apple
though it is one of the most preferred choices for making pies and for
salads. This apple is available from September to June.
Rome Beauty
The Rome Beauty is a mildly tart red apple, which makes an excellent baking apple. This apple is as good for use in pies, or sauces as it is for making salads, eating as a snack, as well as freezing and is one of the most versatile varieties.
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