What is my perfect apple?
October 3, 2022 11:23 AM Subscribe
Help me find my ideal apple: tart and crisp.
I love apples and apple season! I prefer to get my apples from the farmers(' market), as a fresh apple is a billion times better.
My ideal apple is a) very, very crisp and b) quite tart. Honeycrisp are lovely, but so sweet. Granny Smiths are tart to varying degrees, but not always crisp. Crisp > tart - but I am looking for your local or favorite apple type that combines the two.
I am in the Midwest and currently snacking on a Jonagold (not tart enough), but am interested in whatever is local to you too!
I love apples and apple season! I prefer to get my apples from the farmers(' market), as a fresh apple is a billion times better.
My ideal apple is a) very, very crisp and b) quite tart. Honeycrisp are lovely, but so sweet. Granny Smiths are tart to varying degrees, but not always crisp. Crisp > tart - but I am looking for your local or favorite apple type that combines the two.
I am in the Midwest and currently snacking on a Jonagold (not tart enough), but am interested in whatever is local to you too!
Have you tried McIntosh? They are my OG favorite apple, although I may be misremembering how crisp they are. Definitely tart though.
posted by misskaz at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by misskaz at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Braeburns are usually crisp and fairly widely available, though not as tart as a Granny Smith.
posted by box at 11:34 AM on October 3, 2022
posted by box at 11:34 AM on October 3, 2022
SWEETANGO.
posted by kbanas at 11:35 AM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by kbanas at 11:35 AM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
I think Granny Smith kind of maxes out the tart end of apples. Maybe this chart has some leads for you.
posted by XtineHutch at 11:41 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by XtineHutch at 11:41 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding McIntosh. Not as tart as a Granny Smith (not sure any apples are), but way less sweet than any of the newer varieties. And very, very crisp. (This is the best apple; no I will not be taking questions.)
posted by General Malaise at 11:49 AM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 11:49 AM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
For the past several years, it seems like every apple is a crapshoot. What was normally a guaranteed good apples is now a question mark in terms of crispness, tartness, etc.; but Empires are generally crisp and tart (as are Cortlands). I'm in NY state, so I have no idea if they're available elsewhere.
posted by jonathanhughes at 11:52 AM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by jonathanhughes at 11:52 AM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
There are some apples local to me in Oregon that only come out for a few weeks each fall and sometimes these are super tasty. I’d chat with your favorite apple farmers at the market each week to see what recommend. And try some you’ve never heard of.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:53 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 11:53 AM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Cortland.
posted by Enid Lareg at 11:58 AM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Enid Lareg at 11:58 AM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Seconding Empire and Cortland. Twice I've been asked by apple vendors what's my favourite apple, and when I said Empire, their tone changed to Here's A Man Who Knows The Score.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:58 AM on October 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:58 AM on October 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
Winesap or Braeburn if you can find them. These are two more that may be unique to New York State, but if you can find 'em go for it.
(yeah, all y'all wondering why some of us New Yorkers don't move somewhere cheaper? The apples are part of why.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
(yeah, all y'all wondering why some of us New Yorkers don't move somewhere cheaper? The apples are part of why.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
Ashmead Kernels are probably the best for your criteria — they retain a little crispness even when baked — but you’re unlikely to find them, and when you do you might have competition. My partner witnessed an actual physical struggle between a couple of ardent apple fanciers over the last dozen or so in the box at a local farmer's market late in the season one year (and then when those people left the farmer's kid looked around sheepishly and dragged out the half box full they’d been saving for her).
More realistically, green Newtown pippins are usually crisp and sharp, and so are Cox's Orange Pippins.
In general most russet apples are crisper than almost any non-russet apple, and they last longer too.
There've been some good discussions of apple varieties here over the years, such as this one.
posted by jamjam at 12:06 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
More realistically, green Newtown pippins are usually crisp and sharp, and so are Cox's Orange Pippins.
In general most russet apples are crisper than almost any non-russet apple, and they last longer too.
There've been some good discussions of apple varieties here over the years, such as this one.
posted by jamjam at 12:06 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Have you tried the Crimson* Crisp? I had a few last year and felt they had similar texture to Honeycrisp, but a more tart flavor.
(I'm p sure it was Crimson, but it might have been Cosmic.)
posted by esker at 12:07 PM on October 3, 2022
(I'm p sure it was Crimson, but it might have been Cosmic.)
posted by esker at 12:07 PM on October 3, 2022
Response by poster: A friend just recommended Ananas reinette - East Coasters, take note!
posted by quadrilaterals at 12:10 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by quadrilaterals at 12:10 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
(Now I want to breed a very tart, very crisp apple and name it the Quentin Crisp.)
posted by box at 12:12 PM on October 3, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by box at 12:12 PM on October 3, 2022 [9 favorites]
Local to me: Elstar. Tart, juicy, aromatic/herbal and crisp. If you see them anywhere, give them a go.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:17 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:17 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Macintosh, specifically directly from the orchard. Ideally picked yourself (just so you know the haven't been sitting around) are tart and crisp. The ones in the grocery store can be pretty, but it's like a completely different apple.
posted by ghost phoneme at 12:24 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by ghost phoneme at 12:24 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
I think my love for McIntosh apples is from my childhood in Western NY state, when "visit the apple orchard and cider mill" was nearly an annual Girl Scout or other some such field trip. So I have no idea how they taste in other areas of the country.
The other nice thing about McIntosh apples is they are a reasonable size. Not the modern gargantuan apples that are often too much for me to eat in one sitting.
posted by misskaz at 12:43 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
The other nice thing about McIntosh apples is they are a reasonable size. Not the modern gargantuan apples that are often too much for me to eat in one sitting.
posted by misskaz at 12:43 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Can you get ginger gold where you live? They are a late august / September Apple.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
Macoun.
It's important to know that crispness is lost every second off the tree. To me, there is nothing more delightful than a Macoun from the greenmarket in season (often labeled "new crop"), few things less appealing than one or one of its cousins that's been sitting in storage for six months. I gorge myself on Macouns and Macs this time of year and won't touch them otherwise.
posted by praemunire at 1:07 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
It's important to know that crispness is lost every second off the tree. To me, there is nothing more delightful than a Macoun from the greenmarket in season (often labeled "new crop"), few things less appealing than one or one of its cousins that's been sitting in storage for six months. I gorge myself on Macouns and Macs this time of year and won't touch them otherwise.
posted by praemunire at 1:07 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
If you can get your hands on Haralsons, a UMinnesota orchard development (overshadowed by the Honeycrisp hegemony), I cannot recommend them highly enough. In the Midwest I often found Empires and Cortlands to be quite mealy but Haralsons are my dream tart/crisp combo.
posted by kickingthecrap at 1:10 PM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by kickingthecrap at 1:10 PM on October 3, 2022 [4 favorites]
Gold rush is a great option. It is very tart when initially harvested and will get sweeter over storage time but even at peak sweetness there is quite a bit of tartness
posted by nolnacs at 1:13 PM on October 3, 2022
posted by nolnacs at 1:13 PM on October 3, 2022
I’m in Minnesota and have three recommendations:
- Early season apple: Pristine. This is a green, tart, and crisp apple. I get mine at the farmers market from a vendor from western Wisconsin.
- Late season apple: Haralson. This is the perfect apple, in my opinion.
- Alternate late season apple: Prairie or Northern Spy. This apple is used a lot for baking, and it’s not as crisp as a Haralson, but it’s close.
posted by Maarika at 1:19 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
- Early season apple: Pristine. This is a green, tart, and crisp apple. I get mine at the farmers market from a vendor from western Wisconsin.
- Late season apple: Haralson. This is the perfect apple, in my opinion.
- Alternate late season apple: Prairie or Northern Spy. This apple is used a lot for baking, and it’s not as crisp as a Haralson, but it’s close.
posted by Maarika at 1:19 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
I was going to mention Northern Spy. The ones that grow around here taste like caramel.
posted by plinth at 1:26 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by plinth at 1:26 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The lack of crispness is the thing I specifically hate about Macs, so I already disagree with a chunk of this thread. That said:
Northern Spies are hard to find in the store but all our local orchards have them, so you may be in luck at the farmer’s market. Suuuper crunchy.
Crispin aka Mutsu are a bit variable on the acid, but they have a flavor more complex than “sweet” that I really adore and are usually pretty crisp.
My big tip, though, is to go apple picking at a place with a million varieties and try whatever is in season; that’s what got me obsessed with Northern Spies and this one unlabeled yellow apple at a local orchard that is probably a Crispin. I’m betting that you will prefer later-season apples which seem firmer to me. Or ask your apple seller at the market! A good pie apple is usually on the crunchy side because it holds its shape, which may narrow things down.
posted by tchemgrrl at 1:46 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Northern Spies are hard to find in the store but all our local orchards have them, so you may be in luck at the farmer’s market. Suuuper crunchy.
Crispin aka Mutsu are a bit variable on the acid, but they have a flavor more complex than “sweet” that I really adore and are usually pretty crisp.
My big tip, though, is to go apple picking at a place with a million varieties and try whatever is in season; that’s what got me obsessed with Northern Spies and this one unlabeled yellow apple at a local orchard that is probably a Crispin. I’m betting that you will prefer later-season apples which seem firmer to me. Or ask your apple seller at the market! A good pie apple is usually on the crunchy side because it holds its shape, which may narrow things down.
posted by tchemgrrl at 1:46 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't know if they are available where you are, but Pink Lady/Cripp's Pink apples have a consistent dense crisp crunch and a nice tart flavor, in my experience.
posted by darchildre at 2:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by darchildre at 2:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
A Red Prince apple is definitely crisp and is tangy.
'It’s grown in Thornbury and harvested in the fall, like other apples, but is too tangy to be eaten right away. Instead it needs three months in cold storage to balance its natural sugars and acids.
The result is a sweet-tangy apple that’s crisp and juicy."
posted by yyz at 3:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
'It’s grown in Thornbury and harvested in the fall, like other apples, but is too tangy to be eaten right away. Instead it needs three months in cold storage to balance its natural sugars and acids.
The result is a sweet-tangy apple that’s crisp and juicy."
posted by yyz at 3:01 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Came here to recommend a Macoun. It's one of the two breeds that was crossed to make a Honeycrisp apparently and is tarter and less sweet. Second the comment about you needing to eat it right off the tree - it doesn't travel well (hence the development of a Honeycrisp) but the second I ate my first Macoun (a relatively recent experience) I knew I'd found my holy grail apple.
posted by peacheater at 3:02 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by peacheater at 3:02 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm personally of the opinion that the Northern Spy is the perfect apple, tart, crisp, and just sweet enough. Really, though, I would urge you to explore the heirloom apples near you. I am in an heirloom apple CSA that is truly lovely, and it has introduced me to tons of lovely apples that you'd never find in the supermarket, and often not even at the farmer's market. Also it's nice to know the longer list of varieties you like as they ripen in different parts of the season, and what's an ideal apple in September is different from what's ideal in early November, &c. Enjoy your apple journey!
posted by lhputtgrass at 3:12 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by lhputtgrass at 3:12 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Winesap is a good option, but I haven't seen one in a store or a farmers market in years.
posted by COD at 4:04 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by COD at 4:04 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Oh and on the opposite end of heirloom varieties: if you are near a university with an ag school in a temperate climate, they may have an apple department. Ours has small numbers of weird test varieties—the good news, amazing apples with specific flavor profiles; the bad news, good luck finding apple 5268B ever again.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:37 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:37 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding Mutsu/Crispin apples! It’s prime Mutsu season right now, and earlier in the harvest the fruit is more tart. Mutsu season is my favorite apple time of year, and I also love a tart/crisp apple, so I definitely recommend tracking some down while you can this year.
posted by KatlaDragon at 6:05 PM on October 3, 2022
posted by KatlaDragon at 6:05 PM on October 3, 2022
Winesaps are definitely still out there, I saw them at the greenmarket this last weekend. They are a good choice.
posted by praemunire at 6:21 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 6:21 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Crimson crisp, blushing golden, coxs pippin. But really I recommend you go to an orchard and ask for their recommendation. In Wisconsin I recommend Door Creek Orchard and Brightonwood Orchard.
posted by sulaine at 6:37 PM on October 3, 2022
posted by sulaine at 6:37 PM on October 3, 2022
Maybe a red delicious from a hundred year old red delicious tree, if you can find one.
posted by aniola at 7:15 PM on October 3, 2022
posted by aniola at 7:15 PM on October 3, 2022
For the past several years, it seems like every apple is a crapshoot. What was normally a guaranteed good apples is now a question mark in terms of crispness, tartness, etc.
Climate change is playing havoc with formerly tried and true apple varieties. Trees in most places are experiencing earlier bud-break and it is affecting malic acid content, firmness and consistency. Fuji apples of today don't taste like the Fuji apples of the 70s.
The fact that a lot of apple spend time in storage so that people can demand some kind of apple year round also doesn't help. I feel like I've eaten a lot more apples that have refrigerator funk in the last ten years.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Climate change is playing havoc with formerly tried and true apple varieties. Trees in most places are experiencing earlier bud-break and it is affecting malic acid content, firmness and consistency. Fuji apples of today don't taste like the Fuji apples of the 70s.
The fact that a lot of apple spend time in storage so that people can demand some kind of apple year round also doesn't help. I feel like I've eaten a lot more apples that have refrigerator funk in the last ten years.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:32 PM on October 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
It's early Spring in New Zealand and so any apples have been in a cool store for months, but the Pink Lady apples I've been buying the last couple of weeks are still crisp and have reasonable acidity (they're sweet too though!).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:55 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:55 PM on October 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The new commercial apple variety, Cosmic Crisp, is as good as the early publicity. Highly recommended and it should be widely available.
posted by tmdonahue at 6:26 AM on October 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tmdonahue at 6:26 AM on October 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just discovered Lemonade apples today and they meet your criteria. Delicious!
posted by corey flood at 2:50 PM on October 5, 2022
posted by corey flood at 2:50 PM on October 5, 2022
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