Dana Lake ‘23
Staff Editor
Virginia is apple country, and it’s time to finally reap the benefits. Autumn spoils us with options: apples hand-picked off the tree, fresh-pressed apple cider, hot cider donuts, caramel apples, apple pie . . . there are almost as many ways to eat apples as there are kinds of apples to eat.
If you surveyed five different people on their favorite apple variety, you would have five different answers. Unfortunately, if you surveyed 500 people, you would probably still have only five unique answers. There are over 100 apple varieties grown commercially in the United States, and, with that many options, it’s easier to stick with what you know. For the same reason you keep buying Pinot Grigio instead of trying an Arneis or Viura, we limit ourselves to the sad but comfortable binary of Red Delicious vs. Granny Smith.
Pictured: The amount of apples to choose from in this picture rivals the amount at your local grocery store, absurd. Photo Courtesy of Dana Lake '23.
The world of apple tasting is deeper than you would believe if you don’t regularly spend over fifteen minutes in the fruit section of Harris Teeter. Apple varieties exist on a crispness scale ranging from one (soft like a banana) to ten (hard like a cracker). They have complex flavor profiles and acidity levels, and different types are better suited for different purposes. Companies and universities spend years crossing and re-crossing different types to reach the perfect combination of crispness, sweetness, shelf-life, and shipping ability. They spend hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars on the research, then convince orchards to plant their new variety. They trademark and sue for infringement. The drama is even more interesting than you think.
But we’ll take things slow. This is your introductory guide to apples, meant to furnish you with the simple tools you need to annoy your friends and enhance your grocery shopping experience.
Pink Lady
Crispness: 7/10
Taste: sweet-tart
A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. You’ve probably tasted this variety without even knowing it—this is one of the main apples used for pre-packaged slices. It’s slow to oxidize after cutting, so Pink Ladies are great for putting out on a tray for guests. The tartness makes it a good pair for caramel dipping.
Fuji
Crispness: 6/10
Taste: very sweet
A cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet. Originally developed in Japan. Taste is very sweet, texture is firm, and they are about fist-sized. A good apple for bringing on a hike.
Gala
Crispness: 7/10
Taste: mellow-sweet
A cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red. The apple most likely to be substituted for the variety you paid for in a Walmart Grocery delivery. Queen Elizabeth of England’s favorite apple. Highly overrated.
McIntosh
Crispness: 4/10
Taste: sweet-tart
The apple variety my friend’s mom uses for making homemade applesauce for the Jewish High Holy days. She will search through stores to find this particular variety; no substitutes allowed. Makes the best applesauce you’ll ever eat, also well-suited for juicing.
JonaGold
Crispness: 8/10
Taste: sweet-tangy
Cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan. A variety grown on Carter Mountain, available for hand picking. Large and sweet, with a thinner skin that makes it a good pick for baking but bad for carrying in your backpack.
Honeycrisp
Crispness: 10/10
Taste: sweet
Cross between Keepsake and MN1627. This editor’s favorite apple. A perfect combination of crispy bite and honey flavor, large enough to be a satisfying snack. Pairs perfectly with a good cheddar cheese. Doesn’t ship well and isn’t very widely grown, so treat yourself if you find it available near you. Very refreshing, very delicious.
Cosmic Crisp
Crispness: 50/10
Taste: sweet-mellow
Cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise. The newest apple variety on the block. Released in 2019 after 20 years of development at the University of Washington. Check out The Indicator podcast episode “The $100 Million Apple” for a deeper dive into apple lore than you thought possible. The crispness is truly cosmic, but the flavor doesn’t live up to the awesome expectations of the Honeycrisp.
Pippin
Crispness: 7/10
Taste: tart
A heritage variety, one of the oldest American apples. A green apple, to avoid accusations of bias in this guide. Sometimes called the Albemarle Pippin, this variety was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and a popular export to Victorian England. These apples need to be stored for a few months after harvest for them to be edible, as they are hard and sour right off the tree. Worth trying if you manage to find it at a farmer’s market here in Virginia; great for pressing into cider.
Do you have a favorite variety not included here? What apple do you use for your family recipes? Do you think we’re likely to receive a pointed letter from an attorney for besmirching the Cosmic Crisp name? Are you interested in practicing Apple Law? Let us know.
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dl9uh@virginia.edu