Round, rosy, sometimes tart, often sweet and definitely saucy, the apple can be cooked, baked, chopped into salads, served alongside cheese and, of course, enjoyed straight from the tree, au naturel. But there’s more to apples than good looks and good taste. They’re one of the healthiest foods around. More and more studies are demonstrating just how beneficial apples can be for us, from our hearts to our memory. They’re even great for polishing our teeth and improving our breath.
It’s easy to add apples to your family’s diet. Applesauce, apple cider and apple juice are great for a quick, tasty and nutritional boost. Try substituting apple juice or cider in place of oil in recipes, and use applesauce instead of shortening when baking cookies or fruitcakes, for a splash of flavor and a dose of antioxidants. And sliced apples bring crunch and zest to almost any salad.
Apples make the perfect grab-on-the-run snack as well, with their 80 vitamin-packed and portable calories. Two-thirds of an apple’s fiber and many of its beneficial antioxidants are found in the peel, making biting into a fresh apple a healthy as well as taste-gratifying experience.
Favorite Varieties
There are so many varieties of apples, with new ones being bred all the time. Here are some of the more popular apples and tips for how they’re best enjoyed:
Red Delicious.
America’s favorite. Juicy, crunchy and mildly sweet, it’s great for snacking.
Golden Delicious.
With skin so tender it doesn’t need peeling. Mellow and flavorful for baking or cooking; great for applesauce, cider, pies and desserts.
Granny Smith.
Tart and tangy; good for cooking, salads, snacking.
Gala.
Full, rich and sweet, with a crunchy texture. Great for snacking, cooking or adding to salads.
Fuji.
Crisp and juicy, with a spicy sweet flavor; for snacks or salads.
McIntosh.
A great all-purpose apple. Sweetly tart, juicy, for snacking or baking, for making applesauce, cider and baking pies.
Rome Beauty.
The perfect baking apple. Mildly tart, with a flavor that grows richer when baked or sautéed.
Jonagold.
Has a tangy-sweet flavor, deliciously juicy, good for snacking or cooking.
Jonathan.
A small- to medium-size all-purpose apple that’s a blend of tart and sweet. Good for snacking; firm enough for cooking.
Honeycrisp.
A new favorite—sweet, crisp and juicy, with a distinct honey flavor. Good for snacks and salads.
Braeburn.
Crisp and juicy, with a mildly sweet taste. For snacks or salads.
Empire.
Sweet and tart; good for snacking, baking and making caramel apples. Empires store well too.
Winesap.
Spicy, tart and winelike. For snacking or making salads or cider.
Cameo.
Tangy-sweet; perfect for baking and snacking.