apples

[mcholly]

somehow i came across a chat about what are the best kind of apples to use for a pie. some of the feedback was dated around july 2008 and before. since i wasnt finished it, iwould like to get back there. can anyone pklease help me? thanx

[sandylc]

Jonathans!!!!!

[beachmouse]

I grew up in a major American apple belt, and the default there was that '(Northern) Spies are for pies'. Unfortunately, they apparently don't travel well, and might be hard to find outside of Washington, upstate New York, Michigan, and the like.

[hetook]

Crab apple pie was new for me this fall.Pretty nice... tried a sweet & salty version.Didn't bother even peeling. The neighbour's loved'em and I made some awesome app.sauce too.

[KTFoley]

Greygarious is right that the topic and date range is too broad for the search criteria to narrow results down to that particular thread.

Not sure where you are writing from, but the availability of "best" apples will vary by country.

In general, you want a mixture of tart and sweet and you want varieties that will hold their shape -- neither dissolving into mush nor drying into leather. A widely-available good variety for the tart side is Granny Smith. The McIntosh is sweet, holds its shape and can be found throughout the US. This year I used Regents and Honeycrisps for the sweet side -- at least one of those two turned into apple butter. (More baking "research" needed to narrow down the culprit!)

[greygarious]

Wish I could return the favor by agreeing with you, but the Macintosh, delicious as it is, becomes applesauce in a pie and mush as a baked apple. It's common to use it in combination with a firmer apple as a pie filling. Cook's Illustrated likes it in combination with Granny Smith.

I am unfamiliar with Regents but can vouch for the firmness of Honeycrisp when baked. It holds its shape almost TOO much, despite its juiciness. I make a Shaker "applesauce" with Honeycrisp - 3/8" cubes of peeled apple stirred gently in a wide pan, with maple syrup, until the syrup and juice combine into a thickly-reduced syrup similar to what bubbles up from a pie or apple crisp.

[mcholly]

thanx for the apple info, from all of you. it seems to me that almost everyone is from back east,cuz some of the apples mentioned ive never heard of. i live in the lower mainland of bc canada which is the heart of fruit country, apples peaches, cherries etc. just wondering if anyone has any info on any local bc apples for a great pie??

[goodhealthgourmet]

just wondering if anyone has any info on any local bc apples for a great pie??
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you might want to post a thread on your home board if you're looking for locally available recs....otherwise you're likely to just get more suggestions from us East Coasters for varieties you can't find by you ;)

[rworange]

Yeah, but that might just get moved back here by the mods because it is a general topic. I'm sure apples like Macintosh, Granny Smith, Delicious are pretty universal as they were on the market shelves in Guatemala when I lived there.

Maybe the OP could post what varieties of apples are available and people could go from there.

I LIKE pies with Macintosh. Yes, they are softer, but the flavor is exceptional. Growing up in New England it was the only apple we usually used for pie. My mother won many blue ribbons for her apple pies at the local fairs.

To the OP ... what apples have you used in the past

[gmm]

I'm in Washington state, and I also can't get a lot of the varieties people recommend. I like a mix of tart/sweet and I usually use Jonagolds for pie

[Chowrin]

probably honeycrisps on the apple butter. why use a watercore apple for a pie?

[greygarious]

As previously mentioned, definitely NOT the Honeycrisp, which holds its shape very well during cooking. Watery it may be, but the cell walls hold up.

[The Professor]

For me, it's Winesap (Turley or Stayman), Granny Smith, and Rome Beauty...used in combination.

[greygarious]

There are WAY too many threads on this common topic to be able to know which one you were reading. Here are the advanced search results: http://www.chow.com/search?query=appl...

[pippimac]

Without having looked at the links, I think Granny Smiths or Bramley's make great pie.

[Harters]

Almost always Bramleys for pie in this household. Occasionally Howgate Wonder (as a local farm grows them), but they are a bit sweeter.