With over 200 apple varieties grown in the United States it can be somewhat overwhelming to know about how to use and the characteristics of each of them. I thought I’d share some local favorites and discuss how to use them. It’s best to purchase your apples when in season and from a local orchard. Jackson’s Orchard will be open until November 21st to stock up on apples for the winter. Apples will keep at least a week at room temperature and much longer in the fridge.

Here’s my latest video where I discuss apple varieties.

My favorite apple is Honeycrisp. It’s a large apple that is crisp and sweet and can be used for anything: salads, baking, eating, and sauces.

Some of the older standby apples are red and golden delicious. My grandpa raised golden delicious so it brings back memories of staying at their house and creating recipes with their abundance of apples. Golden’s are crisp and sweet and they are great for anything! Red delicious have a signature heart shape, it’s crunchy and a little sweet. It’s good for snacking and salads.

Three apple varieties that are great for anything are Ambrosia, Jazz and Fuji. They are all sweet and crunchy. Gala’s are a versatile apple but are not great for freezing, yet my Gma’s name was Gayla so I really like the name.

For a more tart apple, Granny Smith and Pink Lady are perfect choices. They are great for everything!