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What are the best tart apples for baking?
Apples such as Red and Golden Delicious Delicious varieties are unsuitable for cooking because of a lack of cellulose, which causes them to become mushy and lose their structure. They also lack the tartness required to counteract the sugar in a dish.
The traditional “green apple” is a firm, slightly sour apple that is one of the best for apple pie, apple cobbler, and apple crisp recipes.
The best tart apples for baking include:
- Granny Smith
- Newton
- Rome
- Winesap
- Honey Crisp
- Gala
- Pink Lady
- Braeburn
- Golden Delicious
What to look for when shopping for the best apples for baking apple pie or any other apple dessert
There are many apple varieties available, some of which are excellent for apple pie recipes and others that are not. One of the most important factors to consider when selecting apples for apple pie is their ability to withstand baking.
You don’t want your apple to mush up in the oven! You’ll want something that’s not too sour and just the right amount of sweet—you may mix and match kinds to achieve the exact balance.
Here are some other things to look for when shopping for apples for baking:
- The apples need to be relatively firm and hold their shape well when baked, making them the perfect combination of flavor and texture
- Should have a nice mellow sweetness to them and again, don’t get too soft in the oven.
- It’s nice to include a balanced flavor apple, that you can snack on as well as use for baking
You’ll need a balance of firm-tart and firm-sweet apple varieties to avoid a mushy apple pie. All baking apples should be firm in order for them to keep their shape during the cooking process, and a mix of tart and sweet varieties will give your apple pie the best flavor.
Use one variety of apples or experiment with a blend of baking apples for a unique flavor profile!
Hope you enjoyed this article on the best tart apples for baking. Be sure to check out all of our Southern recipes!
