I would have loved to be able to see which apples are which on the baking sheet. Some names are easy to make out while others are illegible. Maybe a little "map" of the apples would have been helpful.
Best Cooking Apples
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Photo: André Baranowski
When we set out to test the recipe for the baked apples with caramel sauce, we followed conventional wisdom and used Granny Smith apples, a common baking variety. It turns out that conventional wisdom isn't always so wise. The apples in our first batch broke open; the ones in the second turned to mush. So, we decided to bake a single batch using all the varieties we could readily find—13 kinds in all. The results are pictured, and they held a few surprises. The McIntosh, considered a poor candidate for baking, came out of the oven in good shape (though, like the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, it lost most of its flavor), while the Rome, supposedly a baking champion, burst, as did the Royal Gala and the Pink Lady. Of the lot, the Cortland and the Empire had the best flavor—sweet, with a lingering tartness—and a luscious but firm texture. I related our findings to Katherine Alford, a SAVEUR contributor and avowed apple fanatic. "A lot of apples cook best right off the tree," she said, surmising that our Granny Smiths and Romes may have been sitting on a truck or a supermarket shelf too long, which allowed them to overripen and made for weak, mushy flesh. The lesson? Go for young, tart, firm apples—ideally ones that are in season and grown nearby.
Comments (3)
In Vancouver, B.C. , Canada..there is an okanagan varietal called "okanagan honey crisp" which are terrific for baking..a great sweet taste, and they stay firm ( don't urn to mush ). It's seems to be a semi-new varietal, so hopefully it will soon be available in the states for you soon, because I am sure all will be impressed !
Yeah Cortland....Best apple IMO on the face of the planet. There is nothing like the sound of the hard crisp crack as you bite into them. I pick mine every year from a orchard starting about Sept. 20. Then I am in the orchard every week til they are gone. Between the wife and I we eat a minimum of 3 per day. Just between you and I adding a dash of salt once in a while is a taste expereance all its own.
