A Guide to Apples @YFM

The cooler temps this week have us feeling those cozy fall vibes—but the farmers market stalls are still bursting with summer’s best! Think juicy melons, sun-ripened tomatoes, and plenty of zucchini to go around. At the same time, autumn is starting to peek through with the arrival of crisp early-season apples. Fun fact: there are over 7,500 varieties of apples in the world! With so many choices, it can be tricky to know which ones are best for snacking, baking, cooking, or turning into applesauce. If you’ve ever wondered the same, we’ve put together a simple guide to help you out.

Dessert apples 

Eating apples straight out of your hand is one of life’s simple joys. It’s nature’s original fast food! Prized for their sweet taste, bright acidity, and satisfying, crisp texture, dessert apples dominate at the market. The best apples for eating raw are typically sweet, crisp, and juicy varieties like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Golden Delicious, known for their balanced flavors and satisfying textures. 

Saucing apples 

Apple sauces are commonly made with larger, softer apples. These apples tend to have less densely packed cells, which allows them to break down more easily when cooked. Saucing apples include common varieties, like McIntosh and Golden Delicious, as well as heirloom apples like Pound Sweet and Jonagold. Applesauce is so easy to make and tastes delicious added to warm oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon.

Baking apples 

Apples that have a dense flesh and firm shape hold up well when cooked and are best for baking. Mutsu and Gala are go-to, widely available baking apples. Heirloom varieties that hold their shape include Cox’s Orange Pippin, Northern Spy, and Jonathan.

Cider apples 

Ciders are often a blend of apple varieties with different characteristics. This commonly involves combining high-tannin, bitter apples, which lend a rich and robust structure to the body of the cider; high-acid apples, for a crisp taste and zesty quality; and dessert apples, for sweetness and more alcohol content during fermentation. While there are endless possibilities when it comes to making cider, several apple varieties known for their complex flavors are ideal, including Grimes Golden, Summer Rambo, Ashmead’s Kernel, Roxbury Russet, and Black Oxford.

Craving a sweet delicious apple dessert?  Try out the simple recipe below for a simple and moist apple cake!

Apple Cake

Ingredients

Recipe yields 24 servings

• 5 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 4 teaspoons white sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

2. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder together; set aside.

3. Beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light in color, about 10 to 15 minutes; beat in oil until combined. Add flour mixture and mix well. Add vanilla and fold in apples and nuts. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.

4. Mix 4 teaspoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over cake.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Adapted from: https://www.foodandwine.com/types-of-apples-7976165

Recipe from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8358/apple-cake-iv/