Honeycrisp Honeycrisp is an apple cultivar developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Designated in 1974 with the MN 1711 test designation, patented in 1988, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slate…Honeycrisp
Should apples be cooked before baking Pie?
Why You Should Precook Your Apple Pie Filling
- No more undercooked apples in the center!
- Avoid an apple filling that is too watery
- Taste and adjust for sweetness and flavor
- Avoid the gap between the baked crust and the filling
What apples are best for baked apples?
What kind of apples do you use for baking?
- Jonagold. Tart with a honeyed sweetness, Jonagolds hold up exceptionally well in the oven. …
- Honeycrisp. This is our desert-island apple. …
- Braeburn. …
- Mutsu. …
- Winesap. …
- Pink Lady (or Cripps Pink) …
- Now, let’s bake some apples!
How to choose the best apples?
- Empire: sweet, crisp and extra crunchy
- Cortland: crisp, juicy, tart, sweet and browns slowly
- Crispin: sweet, notes of honey
- McIntosh: sweet, rich, hints of berry
- Macoun: flesh is snow white, juicy, hints of berry
- Rome: mild, not very sweet, tangy and floral
- Ruby Frost: balance of sweet and tart, crunchy
What apples make the best pie?
We especially love these varieties of apples for baked desserts and pie:
- Granny Smith — Your standard, never-fails baking apple.
- Honeycrisp — Extra crisp and always holds firm after baking.
- Jonagold — Tart with a bit of sweetness.
- Braeburn — Crisp, sweet apples that hold up well in pie and other baked desserts.
What are the best apples to bake in a cake?
The key to a great apple cake is to use a diverse variety of apples for a mix of textures and flavors: sweet, tart, crisp, and soft. To get the best bang for your apple cake buck, try mixing Honeycrisp and Granny Smith if you prefer your cake more tart, or for a sweeter experience, go with Gala or Fuji.
What apples are not good for baking?
Avoid these: McIntosh, Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious. These apples are a little too soft or just don't have the right flavor punch for the long baking time pies and tarts require.
What apple is best for baking a pie?
Best Apples for Apple PieGranny Smith Apples.Honeycrisp.Golden Delicious.Rome.Jonathan or Jonagold Apples.Braeburn.Northern Spy.Apple Varieties.More items...•
Are all types of apples good for baking?
Any of the apples we've profiled are good for baking. There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.
What are the best apples to use for apple pie or apple crisp?
The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps. Golden Delicious is another great choice for a crisp. You can use just one variety or, for added depth of flavor, use an assortment of varieties when baking your apple crisp.
Is Honeycrisp apples good for baking?
Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.
Do McIntosh apples make good pies?
Fuji and McIntosh are both juicy apples. The new Honeycrisp-cross apples, like our Rave®, are also too juicy for apple pie. Instead, use these delicious apples when snacking or in a fresh application like a cheeseboard or salad.
Are Gala apples A good baking apple?
Gala. With their crisp, mellow sweetness, Gala apples are great for baking, especially because you can typically use less sugar due to their natural sweetness. Taste the apples before adding sugar to determine how much to use.
Why is my apple pie so watery?
Because steam from the baking apples needs to escape, lest it collect under the crust and create (you guessed it) soupy filling. Make sure the vents you cut are sufficiently deep and long to allow steam to escape easily.
What apples are considered baking apples?
For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.
Is Pink Lady apple good for baking?
Sweet baked apples might be pre-sliced or baked whole, while savoury baked apples make a great side dish to a Sunday roast. Whether you're baking apples for a sweet dessert or a savoury side dish, Pink Lady® apples are the perfect choice.
Can Gala apples be used for baking?
Gala: If you want extra sweetness without the soft texture, choose Gala apples for your pie. As with Golden Delicious apples, bakers sometimes reduce the sugar in their recipes due to this variety's extra-sweet flavor.
Can Pink Lady apples be used for baking?
Crisp and tangy-sweet, the Pink Lady is very good for eating raw or baking. They also work wonderfully well in applesauce or purreed soups.
Are Fuji apples good for baking?
Fuji. Fuji apples super sweet and crunchy, making them an ideal snacking apple. But they're also fantastic in baked dishes! Fujis are firm enough to hold their shape during the cooking process, and their sweet flavor deepens to become extra rich.
Can Gala apples be used for cooking?
Gala. With their crisp, mellow sweetness, Gala apples are great for baking, especially because you can typically use less sugar due to their natural sweetness. Taste the apples before adding sugar to determine how much to use.
1. Honeycrisp
She’s sweet, versatile, available basically everywhere and super crunchy. What’s not to like? This apple’s skin is a gorgeous sunset of red and yellow, but it tastes even better in dessert thanks to its ridiculously crisp texture. It’s killer in tarts, pies, bars, dumplings, applesauce and just about any baked treat.
2. Granny Smith
These green gems are famous for their bright tartness and juiciness. As it turns out, tart, firm apples like these (plus Empire and Cortland apples), hold their shape wonderfully in the oven under a layer of pie crust.
3. Pink Lady
Isn’t she gorgeous? Also called Cripps Pink apples, these ruby cuties are prime for everything from bread to pie to cake. They’ll stay firm after a stint in the oven and offer both acidity and sweetness to desserts, not to mention distinct tannic notes. Their signature crisp, almost fizzy bite is also super refreshing when eaten raw.
4. Golden Delicious
These sunny picks are sweet but balanced with buttery undertones. Since they break down easily when baked (like Red Delicious and McIntosh varieties), use them in applesauce, preserves, apple butter, cake or any recipe that won’t benefit from the slices maintaining their shape and texture.
5. Fuji
You love ’em straight out of the fridge, but they can have a whole new life in your favorite baking dish. They’re sweet, juicy and firm with red skin, and—best of all—they’re not mealy at all. Pies, crisps and baked goods in general call for firm apples, and these will definitely hold their own against the oven and additional wet ingredients.
6. Winesap
Search for these sweet-and-sour cuties when you have a baking project or cider making on the brain. They’re crisp and sturdy but packed with lots of winey, aromatic juice. Their flavor is pretty robust and complex, so they’re great for recipes that call for cranberries, plums or lots of spices.
7. Braeburn
Raw, they’re aromatic, crisp and tart. But baked into a galette or pie, they take on a deliciously sweet pear-like flavor. Braeburns are a hybrid of Granny Smith and Lady Hamilton apples, hence their signature tartness.
What to Look For
So, what qualities constitute a good baking apple? Flavor and firmness. "A good baking apple will have a tart, acidic flavor. The apples also need to cook down to a soft consistency without turning to mush," says Jake Samascott of Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York.
The Best Apples for Pies
Both Samascott Orchards and Lyman Orchards use a combination of Jonagold and Ida Red apples in their pies, cakes, cobblers, and crisps. "Jonagold has a great flavor, good consistency, and is even sweet enough to make no sugar-added apple products. Ida red has a very strong apple flavor and cooks very well," says Samascott.
The Best Apples for Applesauce
While Macintosh apples generally get too soft for a pie filling, both Samascott and Lyman agree that they're the perfect apple for making homemade applesauce. They cook down quickly, which means it will be easy to mash the fruit with brown sugar and spices, transforming it into a smooth or chunky sauce depending on your preferences.
The Best Apples for Salad
A crisp apple salad made with winter greens, candied nuts, and sharp cheese is a fabulous contrast to the many sweets we enjoy throughout the fall season. If you're looking for the perfect apple to slice into matchsticks and scatter over the top of a salad, consider Cortland, Red Delicious, and Empire.
Apple Varieties for Snacking
According to Samascott, Red Delicious and Fuji, which is a hybrid of a Red Delicious, take too long to cook down enough during the baking process and most people would not enjoy eating a pie made from them. "Both Fuji and Red Delicious are also very sweet but bland, not making for a good flavored baking apple," says Samascott.
Comparing Apples to Apples
With so many varieties of apples to choose from — more than 2,500 in the United States alone — no wonder it's challenging to know which apple to use for what kind of recipe.
More About Apples
Even though some apples are better suited for certain kinds of recipes than others, you don't have to limit yourself to using just one kind of apple when you're cooking or baking. Many cooks like to use a mixture of apples to get more complex flavors and textures.
How to Store Apples
Though they're at their best when they're freshly picked in autumn, apples that ship and store well are available year-round. When you get them home, store in a dry, cool place. They'll keep best if the individual apples don't touch: It's true, one bad apple spoils the bunch.
Choosing the Right Apples for Apple Pies and Other Recipes
Not all apples are ideal for cooking! In this article, we share some of best apples for baking and cooking—including the best apples for apple pies, best apples for making applesauce, best apples for apple cider, and best apples for apple butter. Hooray for apple season!
The Best Apples for Baking
Below is a list of the best apples for baking and cooking. Note that some familiar apple varieties may be missing because they are best eaten fresh.
Favorite Apple Recipes
If you want straight-up good ol’, classic apple pie, then this is the one that mom used to make!
1. Best Apples for Apple Cakes, Crisps and Crumbles
When it comes to choosing the right Apple for baking a crumble, apple Crisp or a cake, you want to pick an apple that is firm to hold its shape while baking.
2. Best Apples for Applesauce
When choosing the right apple to make applesauce, you want to pick a variety that will easily get soft and mushy. A great way to make applesauce without sugar is to use a sweet apple.
3. Best Apples for Apple Pie & Tarts
Just like for making Apple Crisps, you want to pick an apple that will stay firm when baked. Once again, the choice of tart or sweet apple is completely up to you, and you can absolutely mix two (or more) varieties together!
How do I pick the best apples?
Which apples bake best? For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.
How many apples do I need?
The more the merrier! The general rule is that about 5-6 sliced or chopped apples make for a perfect 9inch pie. Try Betty’s Scrumptious Apple Pie —this recipe calls for eight of your favorite tart apples.
How should I prepare my apples before I start cooking or baking?
Wash and peel your apples. An apple's skin becomes tough during cooking and it will not break down.
Honey Crisp
Honey Crisp apples are nice and sweet, and they're a fan favorite in apple pie. They're also relatively firm and hold their shape well when baked, making it the perfect combination of flavor and texture. With Honey Crisp apples, you'll get nice clean slices of pie without too much juice.
Granny Smith
These green-skinned apples are Ree's favorite pick for apple pie. Their signature tart flavor is delicious on its own, but if you prefer a pie that’s a little sweeter, Granny Smith apples are great when paired with some of the sweeter apples on this list.
Gala
Gala apples have a nice mellow sweetness to them and they don't get too soft in the oven. They're a great multi-purpose apple and a delicious pick for apple pie. Best of all, this variety of apple is usually available year-round. Look for the red and yellow striped apples at most grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Pink Lady
We love Pink Lady apples: They have a nice, rosy color (hence the name!) and they're super crisp, so they're ideal for getting that picture-perfect slice of pie. Pink Lady apples have a sweet-tart flavor that’s refreshing when eaten raw as a snacking apple, but that also works well in baked goods.
Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious apples stand out on the shelf thanks to their sunny yellow color, and you can usually find them throughout the year. These apples are pretty mild in their flavor, so they work well in pies that have some extra sweetness and spice.
Northern Spy
These large, round apples aren't always readily available throughout the year, but when they are, they're one of the very best for pie! They have a mostly sweet, very lightly tart flavor and they're nice and firm. Look for them in the later months of fall and you’ll be baking apple pie for all the cold-weather holidays.
Jonagold
Jonagold apples are a cousin of Golden Delicious and they have some of the same pretty golden hues in their skin. They're a nice mix of sweet and tart, so they work well on their own in a pie. The firm-fleshed apple is a great choice for baking in all forms. They're mostly found at farmer's markets during apple season.
