A round, thin-skinned fruit that grows on a tree and has a center core. Apples can have green, red, or yellow shins, sweet to tart flavor, and a crisp, juicy, or mealy texture.
Varieties: Commercial growers produce about 300 varieties of apples, although there are 2,500 varieties grown in the United States. Those listed in the Selecting Apples table, referenced below, are some of the most popular.
Market forms: Thanks to controlled-atmosphere storage, many apple varieties are available fresh throughout the year. Fresh apples are sold in bulk or plastic bags. But nearly half of the entire crop produced is used for processing into various products, such as apple juice or cider, applejack, applesauce, apple pie filling, apples sliced for pies, apple butter, and jams and jellies. Sliced and chopped apples also are available dried.
Selecting: Your choice of apple depends on how you'll be using it. See the Selecting Apples table referenced below, for suggestions of what varieties are good for eating fresh, cooking, and baking.
Choose firm apples that have smooth, unblemished skins without bruises or breaks. Russeting, or brownish, freckled patches on the skin, generally does not affect the flavor.
Storing: Apples purchased in a plastic bag can be stored that way in your refrigerator crisper. Store apples purchased in bulk in a cool, moist place. Keeping apples at room temperature causes them to lose crispness and flavor and to ripen about 10 times faster.
A Tip from Our Kitchen
Once cut, apples brown easily. Sprinkle apple pieces and slices with lemon, orange, or grapefruit juice mixed with water, or treat them with ascorbic acid color keeper.
Q: For which kinds of recipes should apples be peeled?
A: It all depends on how the apples will be used. Peel apples that will be made into pies, but leave the peel on for salad or fruit platter recipes. Baked apples hold together better with the peel left on.
Apple Math
1 pound apples = 4 small,3 medium, or 2 large
= 2-3/4 cups sliced
= 2 cups chopped
Nutrition information: A medium apple has about 80 calories.
(See Dried Fruit for the Cooking Dried Fruit chart and storing and preparation hints.)
