All American Apple Pie

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When selecting apples, press gently with your fingers to check for firmness. Choose apples that are firm, with no soft spots or blemishes. Reject those that have soft spots or broken skins. Some apples are bes for eating some for cooking and there are those that can be used for either purpose. Three medium apples weigh about one pound. One medium apple yields about one cup of slices.

Softer apples are best for applesauce, while firmer apples are best for baking and making pies. You can increase the sweetness or acidity of the product by adding sugar or a few drops of lemon juice to the recipe.
Best apples for eating out of hand:   Gala, Fuji, Mutsu, Jonathan, Cameo, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Empire, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Braeburn, Winesap, Pink Lady, Sundowner
Best apples for pies: Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Rhode Island Greening, Pippin, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gravenstein
Best apples for applesauce:   Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, McIntosh, Elstar, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Gravenstein
Best apples for baking:   Rome, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, Cortland, Winesap
Best apples for making salads: Cortland, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji, Winesap, Criterion, Pink Lady

Kinds of Apples

Ambrosia Apples:   Crisp and juicy, this is a great apple for snacking.

Braeburn Apple: This firm and juicy apple is good for eating out of hand or for baking.

Fuji Apple:This apple is good for just eating on or making applesauce.

Golden Delicious: This apple is good for just eating, baking, and making pies. The yellower the skin the better.

Granny Smith Apples: These tend to have thick skins and if eating out of hand you might want to peel them first.   They are good for just eating, baking, making pies

Johnathan Apple: This apple is a little tart and good for eating from the hand.

McIntosh Apples:These apples are great for eating as a snack and making applesauce. They are not good for making pies

Pippin Apple: A firm, tart apple that's great for pies, baking, and applesauce.

Red Delicious: This is one of the most popular eating apples. It is not very good for baking. These apples when bought in the summer tend to be a little mushy.

Rhode IslandGreening: This apple is perfect for baking and making pies.

Rome Beauty Apples have a mild flavor that is enhanced after cooking or baking. They're a very good choice for desserts like apple crisp and also fpr fried apples.

Sierra Beauty: This apple is tart, crisp and juicyid does not hold it's shape very well when cooked. They are good for snacking.

Spartan Apple: This is one of the all purpose apples I mentioned earlier. It is a cross between the McIntosh and the Pippin. This is perfect for snacking, baking, pies and general cooking.

Winesap:This tart apple is great for eating out of hand or for making cider. It keeps for a relatively long time.