Getting to the core of it

By By Kathie Smith, Toledo Blade | Wednesday, September 27, 2006

There are more than 100 varieties of apples grown across the country here are few of the most popular:

Braeburn

Appearances: Gold-green with red stripes

Flavor and texture: Sweet but with good acidity, crisp and juicy

Best uses: Eating, salads, cooking

Cortland

Appearances: Round, red and gold skinned

Flavor and texture: Coarse-textured and moderately juicy

Best uses: A good choice for recipes where a soft texture is desirable

Fuji

Appearances: Yellow-green blushed with reddish orange

Flavor and texture: Sweet with a hint of tartness; crisp and juicy

Best uses: Eating, salads

Gala

Appearances: Red-striped over yellow or red skin

Flavor and texture: Sweet and crisp

Best uses: Eating, salads

Golden Delicious

Appearances: Evenly golden skin, sometimes with an underlying greenish tone

Flavor and texture: Sweet and mild; juicy

Best uses: Eating, salads

Granny Smith

Appearances: Bright green, similar in shape to Delicious

Flavor and texture: Firm-textured, tart

Best uses: Equally fine for eating and baking

Jonathan

Appearances: Red over gold

Flavor and texture: Spicy, sweet-tart; crisp and juicy

Best uses: Eating, salads, cooking

Mcintosh

Appearances: Shiny red skin with green patches

Flavor and texture: Juicy, crisp flesh

Best uses: Becomes very tender when cooked

Red Delicious

Appearances: Dark red; shape tapers to “points”

Flavor and texture: Crisp, sweet flesh

Best uses: Eating, salads

Rome Beauty

Appearances: Fat, deep red

Flavor and texture: Firm texture, mild flavor

Best uses: Eating, salads, cooking