apples, apples, apples!

i miss going to the local orchards in the fall and picking my own apples.  these days it's seldom you find a roadside stand selling locally grown apples by the peck or bushel.  many of the places you find are selling fruit and produce that have been shipped in from someplace else. 

fortunately a week or so ago, mark and i were heading home from a fall drive (just to enjoy the beauty of the season) and on old route 66 just south of new bremen, we found a place.  since i had already purchased enough apples for a few pies at the supermarket, i picked up some acorn and butternut squash.  can't get enough of those!  while there we also got to visit the farm's animals; a miniature horse, leghorn chickens, a very friendly sheep and a variety of goats.  i do love the goats!

anyhow...since it is the season i thought i would share this list of apple types and their best uses.   enjoy the taste of the season!

NAME	Best Uses	Flavor Characteristic, Appearance
Braeburn	Sauce	Tart, sweet, aromatic, tall shape, bright color
Cortland	Pies, Sauces, Fruit Salad	Tart, crisp, larger than 'McIntosh'
Fuji	Baking	Sweet and juicy, firm, red skin
Gala	Dried, Cider	Mild, sweet, juicy, crisp, yellow-orange skin with red striping (resembles a peach)
Granny Smith	Baking	Moderately sweet, crisp flesh, green skin
Jonagold	Pie, Sauce	Tangy-sweet, Yellow top, red bottom
Jonathan	Sauce	Tart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntosh	Sauce	Juicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin
Newton Pippin	Pie, Sauce, Cider	Sweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Rhode Island Greening	Pie	Very tart, distinctively flavored, grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange
Rome Beauty	Baking, Cider	Mildly tart, crisp, greenish-white flesh, thick skin
Winesap	Sauce, Pie, Cider	Very juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic, sturdy, red skin