Apples are usually organized into two categories: those to bake with and those to eat. Now of course, you could easily pick up any apple and take a bite out of it, but their are certain apples that are better for that job. Right now it seems that the Honeycrisp is the apple everyone is raving about. And it’s a great apple. It’s very crisp so you really hear it when you take a bit. It’s also considered a premium apple in that you have to fork over more of your hard earned money to enjoy it’s sweet and tart balance. An Ambrosia apple is an apple I fnd to be similar to a honeycrisp, not as crisp, but less acidic and tart.
If you are looking for a crisp apple but you want something more tart than a Honeycrisp, I would reach for a Chieftain. These apples may be difficult if not impossible to find depending on where you live. I got some at my local farmer’s market this past weekend, but I haven’t seen them anywhere else.
If you are looking for something on the softer side with sweet flavor, I would reach for the classic Golden Delicious. These can be found everywhere and are a great apple to munch on. An apple very similar to a Golden Delicious, is the Prime Gold. I have only found the Prime Gold at a local apple orchard. It looks like a Golden Delicious except it can contain a percentage of red blush. The orchard I picked them from said that they were made to be a like a Washington Golden Delicious, as they different slightly from the ones grown here in Michigan.
The last apple I want to talk about is another classic, the McIntosh. It is my 20-month old daughter’s favorite apple. It’s got a great flavor and you can get them in small sizes perfect for toddlers. It’s a very soft apple which makes it easy for her to chew on. It also makes great applesauce but that will have to wait for another post.
Do you have a favorite out of hand apple that I didn’t mention here? Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me about it.
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