Apple Varieties for Cooking, Baking & Cider
What to do with your apples after they are picked
"Which apple is the best for baking? Can I use the same apples for sauce and for pies? What does it mean, 'cider apple'?" Questions like these often come up when characteristics of the many different apples are mentioned. A hundred years ago, when most apples found in stores were grown close to home and there were as many as 20 or 30 different varieties available through the season, this knowledge was basic to successful apple cookery.
In the years since, with the expansion of supermarkets and the reduction in varieties offered to consumers, the question became not "which is the best'' but "what do they have." Now, markets are expanding their variety selections again with old favorites and new discoveries, and people are growing fruit in their backyards both to eat fresh and to use in other ways. Once again we hear the question, "Which apple is best?" for a specific purpose.