Choosing the right apple for your dessert

With fall right around the corner there is soon going to be a plethora of local apple varieties at your local market or farm to pick from. With all of these choices you want to be sure that you are getting the right apple for your needs.

There are basically two categories of apples: baking and eating. For dessert purposes we are most interested in apples that are of high quality for baking but we should also take an interest in those apples with a high eating quality especially if we are looking to put out a cheese course or looking to garnish a dessert with a freshly sliced apple.

A few notes about apples:

Always remember that you should never pre-slice your apples if you are eating them raw and even if cooking the apple you should always be ready to cook the apple within 15 minutes of cutting it. The reason for this is that after you cut the apple the interior is now exposed to oxygen which will cause the flesh to brown and discolor in an unappealing manner. You can toss your sliced apples with a very small amount of citrus juice to slow down this discoloration but you want to be careful because you can hide the flavor of the apple if you use too much juice.

Another fact to note about apples is that a good amount of the flavor (as well as color) is in the peel so unless you really can’t stand eating apple peel consider leaving your apples unpeeled. Not only will you be enhancing the flavor of your dessert but you will be adding color as well. Apple tarts are the best example of a great dessert to not peel your apples for. A dessert such as a buttery apple cake can go either way but from a texture standpoint many people do find using a peeled apple more pleasing in a tender cake. Just remember to wash your apples very well if leaving them unpeeled.

Varieties of Apples:

Here are some of the varieties of apples you can find at Philadelphia area farmer's markets and orchards.

1. Cortland: This is a great apple to use in a cheese course or to garnish a dessert. The flesh is very crisp and has a very pleasant and firm bite. This is also a great choice for serving raw because it browns less quickly than other varieties. 
2. Empire: This is a very high quality apple for baking. The flesh has a medium firmness and strikes a good balance between sweetness and tartness. This is one of the best all-purpose baking apples and works especially well in pies and cakes.
3. Gala: Another good apple for serving fresh with dessert. This apple is going to be slightly more tart than the Cortland.
4. Jonagold: A high quality baking apple that can also be eaten fresh. This apple has a very deep flavor and is great for use in tarts.
5. McIntosh: A high quality eating apple that works especially well with a cheese course. This is a very aromatic apple so it should be handled simply if cooked (it can work in a tart or other application where you want a strong apple flavor).

These are of course just a few of the many types of apples you can find in the Philadelphia area. The above varieties should be available now at the markets but as fall gets into full swing you will see later harvest varieties.

This fall enjoy all of the great varieties of apples available in our area in your desserts and remember Philadelphia to always eat dessert first!!!