My Favorite Apple Varieties

 

The produce aisle of any supermarket displays an endless array of apples. But with so many options to choose from, have you ever wondered which apple to pick? From sweet and delicate, to crunchy and floral varieties, apples range in flavor and texture. 

Did you know, there is more to apples than just red, green, and golden? While the hues may be combinations of these there are over 7500 varieties of apples grown all over the world. Being one of the most popular fruits globally apple aficionados use apples in every form they can, eaten raw, blended in smoothies, pureed into jams, fermented into vinegar, baked, smoked, and spritzed into more ways than we can count!

Remember the old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Well, it's right, but only sort of. Experts at the Harvard School of Public Health love apples for their high fiber content, phytochemicals (which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), vitamin C, and low-calorie count as a healthy snack. There is also some research published through the university has linked eating apples to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

In this article, I will share some of my favorite varieties of apples and enough reasons, why you should try them out too.

#1 Ambrosia

Appearing partly red and partly green, with some areas containing a mix of the two colors, true to their name, these apples are one of the sweetest types of apples. They have a crisp and crunchy texture with juicy flesh. In addition, Ambrosia apples have low acidity, so they don’t taste at all tart. They originated in British Colombia, Canada.

#2 Braeburn

Braeburn apples are mainly red, with little bits of green coming through from the base in some areas. These have a crisp, crunchy, and juicy texture, with a sweet and slightly tart taste. They originated in Nelson, New Zealand.

#3 Bramley

Unlike most other apples, Bramley apples do not have a smooth and uniform shape. Instead, they are uneven, usually with one side often larger (or raised) than the other. Due to their widespread culinary uses, they are also referred to as ‘cooking apples’. These apples are much tarter than other apples and very sour, hence rarely eaten raw. They originated in Nottinghamshire, England

#4 Cortland

With predominantly red skin, and slight shades of green in some areas, these apples have a crisp and crunchy texture, and they are partly sweet and partly tart in terms of taste. They were developed in New York, USA by cross-breeding.

#5 Ambri

Popularly known as Kashmiri apples, they appear greenish with red stripes. They taste sweet and crisp. They originated in Kashmir, India.

#6 Empire

Another New York, USA crossbred, Empire apples have a smooth and shiny exterior that is primarily red with tinges of green. These apples offer a crisp bite and firm, crunchy flesh. They taste very sweet.

#7 Fuji

Having soft shades of red mixed with smaller yellow-green tones and a white-green inner flesh, these apples offer a crisp bite and firm, crunchy flesh. They taste very sweet and are only slightly acidic. They originated in Japan.

#8 Chaubattia Anupam

Chaubattia Anupam apples are hybrid apples developed in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, India by crossing Early Shanburry and Red Delicious. These apples have red vertical stripes on the exterior with a natural glossy peel. However, the flesh of this apple is whitish in color and has a sweet and tangy taste.

#9 Gala

With outer skin varying shades of green and red, the inner flesh has a cream to light yellow tone. Gala is one of the sweetest apple varieties, and they are also crunchy and very juicy. They originated in Wairarapa, New Zealand.

#10 Golden Delicious

These apples have an attractive gold-like yellow and green color. First originated in West Virginia, United States, these are one of the most popular apples around the world. The apples have a sweet taste with little acidity, and the flesh is crunchy and full of juice.

#11 Granny Smith

Granny Smith apples have a uniform green color, and it is a darker shade of green than most apples. The skin also has little white specks visible when looking at close range. These apples are slightly tart and tangy, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on personal preference. They also have a sweetness to them and a refreshing, juicy, and crisp texture. The Granny Smith originated in New South Wales, Australia.

#12 Honeycrisp

These apples have a red to pink shade covering a light-green base color, which shows in different proportions depending on the apple. True to their name, Honeycrisp apples have a crisp texture and a sweet taste. They are also very juicy. They originated in Minnesota, United States.

#13 Jazz

Jazz apples have a bright red color with green-yellow base shades. Originating in New Zealand, they are crossbred between Braeburn and Gala, and just like them, Jazz apples are slightly tart but mainly sweet and juicy, with a crisp texture.

#14 Tydeman’s Early

Tydeman’s Early is a popular apple variant that hails from the hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh and J&K, India. The classic red-colored exterior of these apples with a yellowish-green base makes Tydeman's Early a classic apple variant, which is majorly relished in the form of desserts and fresh salads.

#15 Jonagold

With a greeny-yellow base color with shades of light red covering them, Jonagold apples have a mild, sweet, and juicy taste. They originated in New York, USA.

#16 McIntosh

McIntosh apples have shades of crimson red, partially covering a light green base color. These apples are crunchy and juicy and taste equal parts sweet and tart. They originated in Ontario, Canada.

#17 Pink Lady

Pink Lady apples have an attractive pink-red color on top of a yellow-green base, with cream to light yellow flesh. Even though these are among the tartest apple varieties, their sweetness is equal to their acidity. They originated in Western Australia.

#18 Red Delicious

The Red Delicious has a striking and bold bright crimson color, which is uniform around the apple. The taste of a Red Delicious apple is mildly sweet. This apple is usually relished raw or by adding to salads, chutneys, or locally produced jams. While it originated in Iowa, USA, it is commonly cultivated in Himachal Pradesh, India.

#19 Irish Peach

The name might confuse you, but the taste of this apple variant will not disappoint your palate. This apple variant hails from Jammu & Kashmir, India, and is widely consumed raw or used in local cuisines for its sweet taste and peachy aroma and flavor, which gives a hint of fresh and fruit notes to your delicacies.