Apples

How can I keep cut apples from turning brown before I serve them?

Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 2 quarts of water. Dip the cut apples in the lemon water to retard discoloration and drain on a paper towel.

What can one do with overripe or under ripe apples?

Overripe apples are great for apple sauce and cider. Under ripe apples work well chopped, sliced or grated in muffins, cakes and pies.

How many apples are needed for a 9" pie?

9 small, 7 medium or 5 large apples

How do I compare weights, volumes and apples sizes for various recipes?

See the chart below.

Apple Size Diameter Sliced or
Chopped		 Grated Apple Sauce
Small 2-1/4" 3/4 cup 1/2 cup 1/3 cup
Medium 2-3/4" 1-1/3 cup 3/4 cup 1/2 cup
Large 3-3/4" 2 cups 1-1/4 cup 3/4 cup
Which apples varieties are best for which uses?

See the following chart.

Apples - Best Uses for Common Varieties
 
Eating
Salads
Sauces
Baking Whole
Pies
Freezing
Baldwin*
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
Cortland
xx
xxx
xx
xx
xx
x
Delicious - golden
xx
xxx
xxx
xx
xx
xx
Delicious - red
xx
xx
--
--
--
--
Empire
xxx
xx
xx
x
x
x
Gala
xxx
xxx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Idared
xx
xx
xx
xxx
xxx
xx
Jerseymac
xx
xx
xx
x
x
--
Jonagold
xxx
xxx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Jonathan*
xxx
xx
xx
xxx
xxx
xx
Lodi
x
x
x
x
x
--
McIntosh
xx
x
xx
--
x
--
Macoun*
xxx
xx
xx
--
x
--
Melrose
xx
xx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Mutsu (Crispin)*
xxx
xx
xxx
xx
xxx
xx
Newton Pippin*
xx
xx
xxx
xx
xxx
xx
Northern Spy*
xx
xx
xx
xxx
xxx
xx
Paulared
xx
xx
xx
x
x
--
Puritan
--
x
x
--
x
--
Rhode Island Greening*
--
x
xx
xx
xx
xx
Rome Beauty
--
x
xx
xx
xx
xx
Granny Smith
xx
xx
x
xx
xx
xx
Stayman
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
Twenty Ounce*
--
x
xx
xx
xx
xx
Winesap*
xxx
xxx
xxx
xx
xx
xx
Excellent xxx
Good xx
Fair x
Poor --
Heirloom (at least 50 years old) = *
I want to go apple picking. When do the different varieties ripen?

Since ripening times vary with geographic location and an individual year's weather, a call to a local apple grower is a good idea. Average ripening times are listed below.

July Lodi
August Jerseymac, Paulared, Puritan, Twenty Ounce
September Early - Cortland, Jonathan, McIntosh, Wealthy
Mid - Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Idared, Jonagold, Red Delicious
Late - Macoun, Rome Beauty
October Early - Winesap
Mid - Melrose, Mutsu, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Rhone Island Greening, Russet, Stayman
Late - Baldwin, Granny Smith

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