Can we talk about apples?

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Apples! It is all about variety and how they are stored

Best bet is farmers market (that get them from orchards), or from orchards themselves.

Avoid the "big names" - Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Cortland, Rome Red (which is really only for cooking).

I like to look for Mutsu (esp when on the green side of yellow), Jonathan, Jonagold, Cameo, Jonamac. Winesap can be fine when properly stored and in season.

Riskier are the newly popular Gala, Pink Lady, and Braeburn because they can be picked way ahead and held, where they can lose their crispness. Fuji and Honey Crisp are always quite crisp, but often too sweet (for me, anyway - I like some tartness to my apples).

There are literally thousands of varieties of apples, and many great heirloom types hundreds of years old that are still grown here and there but hard to find.

For a real treat, look for the rare Russet varieties - way out of style because the skin is more like a bosc pear. Ashmead's Kernel, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Hudson's Golden Gem - spectacular flavor.