The best apples for making pie September 27
There are so many varieties of apples available in stores and at farmers markets these days, that it can be challenging to choose apples for baking. In the past, a baker might have reached for sweet-tart Granny Smith apples without a second thought, but there are many different kinds of apples that will work just as well, if not better, in baking pies, crisp and other apple desserts.
Texture and taste are the two most important qualities to consider in a baking apple, and the apple that you like best for everyday snacking might not hold up when put into a pie. Apples need to retain their shape and not turn into applesauce during baking. The best apples will be able to offer a little bit of resistance (keep a little hint of crunch) even after a long time in the oven. Baking apples should also not be too sweet, since most pie recipes call for a fair amount of sugar. The sugar serves as flavoring and helps thicken the juices of the apples as they cook, and cutting it down to compensate for super-sweet apples can sometimes change the outcome of the final pie.
Granny Smiths are always a decent choice for pie, as they are easy to find, will hold up during baking and can take a lot of extra flavor from sugar and spices. Jonathan, Jonagold and Pippin apples are other excellent sweet-tart choices. Gravenstein, Braeburn, Fuji and Pink Lady Apples are all crisp and sturdy, as well. Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, despite their promising names, are not good choices for baking, and neither are Gala and Cortland, since they tend to become mealy in pie fillings.
If the recommend apples aren’t available in your area, or if others not mentioned here are (this is the case in many apple-growing areas), try experimenting a little with different types of apples. One way to do this is to blend together several different kinds for a pie filling, giving your pie a mixture of textures and flavors - and covering up any apples that bake up less-than-perfectly.
I personally like to use a mix most of the time no matter what and, at the moment, my favorite is a blend of Granny Smith, Braeburn and/or Pink Lady. If you have a favorite blend, or if I missed your favorite type of baking apple (because there are so many to choose from), leave a note in the comments below!
Coffee & Vanilla Sep 27
If you can’t find sour cooking apples you can always use any apples and squeeze in some lemon juice… it works really well. I made recently apple pie with Gala apples and some lemon juice. It was the best pie I have ever made
Margot
Stacey Sep 27
I love using Empires mixed with Granny Smith
MLO Sep 27
I just tried Bitter Face or was it Suite(?) apples I got from our local Farmer’s Market, and it made a wonderfully sour sweet apple pie!
Of course, I’m an advocate of mixing the mushy saucy apples with the apples that hold their shape so that you can maximize your pie goodness.
Now, I have to can up both 1/2 bushels of pie apples for filling before Saturday’s Farmer’s Market run… DH is getting a little upset with the amount of foodstuffs in our house.
Pax,
MLO
sprite Sep 27
I’m a mixer of apples, as well. I like there to be some chunks and some juicy, applesaucy bits in my desserts, so with a variety of apples included in the pie/crisp/crumble, I’m usually happy.
Sarah Sep 27
If you live in the northeast, the absolute best baking apple is the Macintosh. It’s finnicky though; you need to use them when they’re in season. They don’t winter well.
Sally Sep 27
It totally depends on what you are baking, I have to disagree with the golden and red delicious comment as they are excellent for tarts. I was skeptical about this until I tried a Jacques Pepin recipe that absolutely insisted on using the “delicious” apples—the key difference here seems to be less sugar and less cook time. The advice with regard to pies however is accurate.
Jennywenny Sep 28
In england we always had special apples for baking and they were way too tart to eat, I think they were called bramleys. I remember sam from becks and posh getting her hands on some in San Francisco and they were really great!
Jerry Sep 29
My favourite pie combination . . . Courtland + Gala + Empire! You have me craving an apple pie, It is time to go apple picking!
Jim Oct 1
I highly recommend mixing in some Northern Spy; they make great pie apples. Unfortunately, though, they’re not widely available if you don’t happen to live in the Northeast United States or Michigan.
Garrett Oct 22
Over many years of baking pies I have found the Northern Spy to be the most consistent. Spies are an old variety, unattractive to the eye but delicious in a pie!
Ann Apitz Oct 25
Ida Reds ; hands down!
carmen Nov 9
My grandmother always used Johnathon apples from her tree for all her apple recipes and I won’t use anything else! They always hold their shape and have the right balance of sweet and tart.
Barbara Nov 11
I was pleased to see you did memtion that jonathon apples are good for pies. But you said golden delicious are not. I have always used gold del. and to me they have the best flavor. They never get to soft and they hold up very well in my pies. This time since I have eaten alot of my golden del. apples I will have to use some jonathon’s that was given to me. It should make for an interesting taste!!
Joanne Nov 22
I like my Apple pie well cooked and “mushie”. I find it hard to find an apple that holds it’s shape but is fully cooked. I guess I like my pies to be much like apple sauce. Am I the only one who likes well cooked apple pies?
ally Nov 25
I love a combo of golden delicious (I have to disagree with the author!), gala, and braeburn apples! That’s the best!
ally Nov 25
oops! meant to write fuji! not gala!
Aneita Nov 26
I used Granny Smith and Empire apples and what a pie! It was great!
Bobette Bryan Nov 27
I can’t believe that someone said the Macintosh is a good baking apple–it’s not true. I couldn’t find Jonathans or Granny Smith apples at the store this year–they had probably sold out for Thanksgiving–and so I used Macintosh apples in my Thanksgiving pie this year. It turned out to be the worst pie I’ve made in ages as the apples turned into mush. So beware if you plan on using Macs for baked goods and stick to the old reliables.
Joie Dec 12
I have Gravensteins available to me here in the Pacific Northwest, but I’m always interested in mixes when these yummy apples aren’t available - lots of info for the East and Northeast - but I’m new to the Northwest and still trying to figure out the best local growns for pie! I got lucky with Gravensteins, someone brought me some bags of windfall apples from her tree the first year we were here - the best pies and applesauce I’d made in a long time - but what else is up here???
DENNIS Jan 3
AM NEW TO BAKING, BUT HAVE FOUND GRANNY SMITH’S AND GALA, WORK WELL, ALSO GALA FOR BAKING APPLES
Sarah Mar 16
If you ever find Winesap apples, use them for pie! I’ve made more apple pies than I can shake a stick at, and they are by far the most flavorful, wonderful, structurally sound pie apples I’ve ever come across.
Also, using recently picked apples really does make a difference. I promise.
And mix! Heterogeneity is the spice of apple pie. Well, one of many spices, at least.
Andreas Apr 13
If you can get a hold of them “Belle de Boskoop” (sometimes also just called “Boskoop”) is in my opinion the best choice.
Ted May 28
Don’t bother with supermarket apples. Newtown Pippin is by far the best pie apple I have found. It has a winey,rich apple flavor and cooks soft but not mushy.Don’t bother mixing with other apples; it would only diminish the results. This apple of New York State origin was George Washington’s favorite.
Mary Oct 12
I just made a pie with Jonagold & Honeycrisp that people kept raving was the best apple pie they’d ever eaten. May be because I used boiled cider in the recipe, however - that REALLY gave it a great flavor! Crust makes a big difference in a pie to me too though. Love reading about all the varieties that you all have tried - wish I had access to try all of them!
Amy Oct 15
During all my growing up years, I thought the only pie-making apple variety was Haroldson. There were two Haroldson trees in my Minnesota backyard, and every fall my mom would go on a pie-making spree. I miss my mom who passed away in 2007, but can always get a taste of home by baking an apple pie using the Haroldson variety of apple. I think it is interesting to try the variety-mix approach and may have to do that with Granny Smiths and Haroldsons. I personally cannot imagine using a sweeter variety of apple; however, kudos to those who do.
Phil Oct 21
Apple pipes with firm “crunchy” apples, I find very unpleasant. For my taste the apple should melt in my mouth with just a push of the tounge. If I want a “crunchy” apple I can eat them raw. An apple that holds its shape after baking may be pleasing to the eye but a disaster to the mouth.
nkosi b Oct 30
can you send me the effect of different ( golden delicious ,granny smith and sparkle apple.)apples in the quality of the apple pie.in terms of appearance ,colour,texture,flavor