A Multitude of Varieties

© Aprifel / Margarett SKINNER

Not all apples are the same.  Red, yellow or green, sweet or tart, each variety looks and tastes different!  Here are the main ones to look out for in the shops:

Gala Firm flesh, crunchy and juicy.  Very sweet, with a slight tartness.  Delicious pan-fried, or baked in quarters with melted butter, cream or brown sugar.  Available from August to February.  

Golden Delicious Sweet flesh, with a slight banana scent.  Ideal in pies and tarts, or baked in the oven.  Available all year round.

Cox’s Pippins Sweet and fruity, with a honey and quince scent.  Great to eat fresh or cook with,  available from August to October.  

Elstar Perfumed flesh, with slight pear fragrance.  Can be eaten fresh or baked, with a hint of tartness.  Available from March to August.

Jonagold Large, sweet fruit with pear and apple scent.  Ideal for pies, available from June to October.

Boskoop Tart and green, this is the perfect apple for baking.  Available from March to October.  

Granny Smith The famously tart green apple, with juicy, firm flesh.  Great to eat as it is, or in fruit salad and sweet and sour dishes.  Available from April to October.
Pink Lady Firm, crunchy and sweet, this variety is just as delicious in pies and tarts as it is baked whole.  Available from May to November.  

Braeburn Crunchy and juicy, sweet, with a hint of tartness, this is just as good eaten whole as it is cooked.  Especially good in tarts, available from April to November.  

Idared Firm, crunchy flesh with the delicious scent of green wood, this is an apple to be eaten just as it is.  Available from January to June.  

Fuji Very sweet and juicy, with a leafy, green wood fragrance, this refreshing apple can be eaten from January to June.