Apples for Cooking, Baking and Noshing
Since many of us are already thinking fall and Rosh Hashanah, we’re also thinking apples. Similar to wines and olive oil, different types of apples are best for different uses. NPR host and kosher food writer Eileen Goltz provided the chart below. We keep a copy handy!
An Apple Guide
A very useful guide to apples that will help you make your choice of variety easier and help you gauge exactly how many apples you’ll need to create your culinary masterpieces.
Apple Quantities:
• 1 lb. = about 4 small, 3 medium, or 2 large apples
• 1 lb. sliced apples = about 2 cups
• 1 lb. diced apples = about 3 cups
• 2 medium grated apples = about 1 cup
Apple Tips: When you slice an apple it has a tendency to brown quickly if you don’t use it right away. The best way to prevent this and not use lemon juice (which tends to change the flavor of the apple is to mix a quarter cup of apple juice with a cup of water and pour over the sliced apples. Drain and use when needed.
When you choose your apple look for FIRM and brightly colored apples. Apples do not ripen after being taken off the tree, so the color you see is the color you get. Wash them well.
Types of Apples and What To Do With Them:
• Braeburn Apples: These are usually is orange/red on a yellow color. Delicious raw, in salads, and good in pies, sauces and baking.
• Cortland: Sweet/semi-tart red apple on green/yellow color. Delicious raw; great in salads. Not great in pies, sauces and baking.
• Empire: A green and red apple that has a sweet/tart taste. Delicious raw and, good for pies, sauces and baking.
• Fuji: A sweet, red/pink apple. Delicious raw and great in pies, sauces and baking. Short shelf life.
• Gala: Has pink stripes on a yellow background. A very sweet apple. Delicious raw and salads. Also great for pies and baking.
• Golden Delicious: A sweet, yellow apple that is wonderful for just about everything you want to make.
• Granny Smith: This is a very tart green apple. Terrific for anything you want to make and available year around.
• Honeycrisp: This apple is best raw and ok baking and sauces but not for pies.
• Jonagold: A cross between the Jonathan and the Golden Delicious apple. Sweet and tart combined. Good for just about anything.
• Jonathan: A tart red/green apple. Good for most just about anything you want to make.
• McIntosh: This is a green/ red apple that’s mostly sweet with just a hint of tart. Best raw or in sauces.
• Red Delicious: Sweet and popular; available year around. Best raw- not recommended for baking.
• Rome Beauty: One of my favorite baking apples. Not too sweet and can be used for just about anything.