All About Apples

It should be easy to eat an apple a day, considering they are perhaps the most common tree fruit in the world. There are some 7,000 known apple varieties in the world today. Of course, far fewer are available to the average shopper. The most common varieties sold in the United States are Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala and McIntosh. Keep an eye open, too, for recently revived heirloom apples, old-fashioned varieties that fell out of favor with big commercial growers because of difficulties in large-scale growing, storing and shipping. Many kinds with excellent flavor and texture can now be found in farmers' or specialty markets.

Selecting
Look for unbroken skin with good color and no soft brown spots. Whenever possible, buy newly harvested local apples. Most apples are picked in autumn or winter, although a few summer varieties (Maiden Blush, Transparent, Gravenstein) exist. The Australian crop helps to fill American fruit bins in the summer.

Although some apple lovers may insist that the sweeter apples, such as Fuji and Gala, are good for eating out of hand, while tarter, firmer ones, such as Granny Smith, are better suited for cooking and baking, these sweet and tart distinctions are completely subjective.

Storing
Because apples continue to ripen at room temperature, refrigerate them in the cold back part of the refrigerator for 1 week or longer. If you plan to eat them soon after purchase, they can be held at room temperature for a few days.

Preparing
A small, sharp knife is all you need for peeling and slicing apples, although a vegetable peeler may be easier for the novice cook to use. Specially designed apple corers are available. Exposed apple flesh quickly discolors unless it is rubbed with lemon or other citrus juice. Since the skin of the apple contains so many nutrients, it is a good idea to leave it on when possible.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion (Time-Life Books, 2000).