best apples

[crazy cook]

what are the best apples to use for baking a pie

[momoreg]

Everyone has their own opinion on this subject. I love granny smiths. The texture when they're perfectly cooked in the pie is unique to that variety, and they have an incomparable tartness to them.

[chiffonade]

I prefer Granny Smiths for 2 reasons...

1. They hold a firm toothy texture instead of turning to mush during long baking periods.

2. They are not a sweet apple at the start, so the apple flavor holds up to some sugaring and spicing.

[alexia]

I agree with what has been said with one exception.

The "best" apples MAY be local varieties that are available for a very short season and only locally. Of the varieties commonly available in supermarkets, I use Granny Smith for pies. This is important not only because many people do not have access to what I find the more interesting vaieties to use for pies, but also because Granny Smiths are available around the calendar; the others are not.

That said, I prefer using, when available, Northern Spies, Winesap, Stayman-Winsap, Ida Reds, and some of the local "heirloom" type apples that vary by area and may be available only at farmers markets or roadside stands .

[W.DeBord]

Right now I'd use any apple I could get that tasted decent. I can't get a respectable apple from any supplier! When you saute' them with butter and carmelize with sugar, their isn't one drop of juice in the pan, the apples are sooooo dry right now, their like a sponge. Then they reach this point like a burst and turn into apple sauce.

If the apples were good, I'd use a combo of granny smith and golden delicious.

[shroomgirl]

That's exactly what I do....mix varieties....granny smith and golden delicious make a great pie/strudel. I've got local honey crisps that are working well, Ark Black are too crisp and not that sweet....

[cape chef]

For ease of availibility I use Grannysmiths most of the time.

Bramley apples would be my first choice givin there higher in acid and lower in sugar,so as they cook the sugars develope and the acids soften so everything balances nicely.

High sugar apples loose almost all there flavor when cooked and just become a sweet mash.

Look for braeburns also,there another good option

[nancya]

Missouri Jonathons (not Washington State Jonathons). They are crisp, tart, and taste the way an apple should taste ....okay, perhaps I'm biased.

As far as I know, however, there hasn't been a really good crop in several years.

[Pongi]

As everybody knows, the VERY BEST pie apple in the world is the famous Belfiore di Ronzone
However, in case you have problems with the supply, my other favourite one is the apple we call Renetta. Don't know the American name but you can surely identify it as it's the apple commonly used in Austria to make Apfelstrudel...it's quite small, brownish/yellowish/greenish, has an irregular shape and a very sour taste.
Granny Smith is my favourite apple for salads as it isn't too sweet but not too sour as well.

Pongi

[angrychef]

I too use a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. The Grannys have more acid and the goldens have more of that "apple fragrance" and sweetness.

[alexia]

I find that whatever apple I use, a little lemon zest and (depending on the apples) a little juice do wonders for the pie. bbbbbbbbbbb