In case you couldn't already tell from the overflowing stands at the farmers' market and grocery store, it's apple season. A wonderful time indeed, but do you ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety? Which kind is best for cider? For throwing in your bag for an afternoon snack? What about pies and cobblers? Well, thanks to Slate, there's now a handy flowchart to help you find the best apple for you, whether you want to cook it or, you know, just throw it at someone.
Slate asked Andrew Mikolajski, gardening expert and author of The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Apples, for apple variety recommendations, which they oh-so-helpfully put into a printable flowchart. The flow chart is also hyperlinked to apple recipes and crafts from around the web, but we've got plenty of apple recipes as well!
Apple Recipes from The Kitchn
• Apple Season Is Upon Us! 15 Sweet & Savory Apple Recipes
• An Apple for Every Meal: 15 Sweet Apple Treats
• An Apple a Day: 10 Breakfast Recipes with Apples
• Apples Galore! How To Make Apple Butter
See the Flow Chart: Choose the Right Apple | Slate
Related: What's Your Favorite Apple Variety?
(Image: Slate)
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Mind boggling fact I recently learned about apple varieties:
In the 1800s, it is estimated that there were 7,100 varieties of apples being cultivated.
Of those 7,100, many were named after the family of whoever bred it, meaning your ancestors may have had an apple named after them.
Today, more than 6,800 of those varieties are now extinct.
I love flowcharts. /nerd This is definitely being printed and displayed on my fridge. Neat fact, Tim P!
They aren't on this flowchart, probably because they're too rare, but I recently became acquainted with Pink Pearl apples and they are my new favorite. I made them into tarts to showcase their beautiful color. Also, I like Gravenstein just for the name (perfect name for Halloween), and Fuji has always been my favorite eating apple.
Man... I haven't even heard of half of these, and they don't have Pink Ladies! (My favourite eating apple.) Although, they are Australian, so that may explain it - not sure Americans would get other cultivars of other fruit we have, like Kensington Pride mangoes. (Once you have a Kensington, you'll never eat another Mexican one. Guaranteed!)