GROUPON GUIDE TO CHICAGO

The Most Popular Types of Apples

BY: Aimee Algas Alker | Oct 18, 2018

It's apple picking season! Did you know that 2,500 types of apples are grown in the United States alone? Some apple varieties are crisp, some are crunchy. Some are tender, some are firm. Some are sweet, some are tangy. With all these types of apples, it can be hard to figure out which ones you like best. Let us help!

Red Apples

Cripps Pink/Pink Lady

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A post shared by Teresa Webster (@teresa.webster) on Sep 26, 2018 at 12:41pm PDT

Flavor: Sweet-tart
Color: Bright pink
Texture: Crunchy
Season: November–July
Best for: applesauce—good for cooking too

McIntosh

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Flavor: Tart
Color: Mostly bright red with yellow highlights
Texture: Tender, creamy—not very firm
Season: September–May
Best for: snacking, sauce-making (applesauce or apple butter)

Pro tip: If you want to bake with these, be sure to use some kind of thickener so it doesn't turn to mush.

Red Delicious

Flavor: Mildly sweet
Color: Deep red
Texture: Crunchy but soft
Season: All year
Best for: snacking and salads; applesauce
Not great for: cooking

Green Apples

Golden Delicious

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Flavor: Sweet and mild
Color: Yellow-green, occasionally with a hint of pink
Texture: Crisp
Season: All year
Best for: all purposes, but especially good for applesauce

Pro tip: These apples bruise easily don't last long in storage—use them as soon as you can.

Granny Smith

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A post shared by eteveris (@eteveris) on Oct 12, 2018 at 12:22pm PDT

Flavor: Tart
Color: Bright green, sometimes with hints of red
Texture: Crunchy
Season: All year
Best for: just about any purpose, raw or cooked

Pro tip: Cooking will bring out the sweetness.

Bicolored Apples

Braeburn

Flavor: Tangy and rich
Color: Orange-red over yellow
Texture: Crisp
Season: October–July
Best for: eating raw or cooking

Cameo

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Flavor: Sweet-tart, bright
Color: Yellow-orange and red
Texture: Crunchy and firm
Season: October–May
Best for: eating raw and making applesauce

Fuji

Flavor: Super sweet
Color: Yellow and red—almost striped
Texture: Firm and crisp
Season: All year
Best for: especially great applesauce; also good in salads and as a snack

Gala

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A post shared by The Fruit And Veg Hut (@thefruitandveghut) on Oct 5, 2018 at 5:34am PDT

Flavor: Very sweet
Color: Varies from creamy yellow to red and yellow
Texture: Crisp
Season: All year
Best for: especially great in applesauce; also good in salads and as a snack

Pro tip: They're small and thin-skinned, so they're great for kids. They also must be refrigerated.

Honeycrisp

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A post shared by The Numbering Company (@numberingcompany) on Oct 11, 2018 at 6:10pm PDT

Flavor: Medium sweet
Color: Mottled red over yellow
Texture: Super crisp
Season: September–May
Best for: making apple juice and eating raw

Pro tip: They make pretty runny applesauce; best to use them for something else

If you're wondering, "Where can I find apple orchards near me?" CLICK HERE FOR SOME APPLE PICKING DEALS.

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