Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
It's about that time of the year, apples are in their element. Both at stores and markets, you can find many unique varieties of apples beyond the usual red delicious and granny smith. It can be hard to figure out what these apples taste like if you've never had them. So here's your go-to guide on those lesser-known apple varieties.
Gold Rush - This is one of those apples you can stockpile. They keep much longer in the refrigerator, so you can snack on them for weeks or use them in fall baking. Gold Rush apples have a rich, spicy taste with balanced acidity and tartness. These are great for pies.
Arkansas Black - These apples have a brilliant, deep crimson or plum coloring with a cream flesh. Arkansas Black aren't as crisp as other apple varieties, and they can turn mealy quickly if you keep them around. When fresh, you can almost taste hints of vanilla and almond in the sweet flesh.
Jonagold - This is a hybrid of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples- rosy red and yellow. Many people love this variety for the kinship of sweet and sour. It's a general crowd pleaser if you need an apple to suit many palates.
These are a deep red color, looking similar to red delicious but rounder in shape. Jonaprince is a mutation of Jonagold apples, but with more lip-puckering sourness and higher sugar content.
Mutzu- It's hard to miss these guys on the trees; they look like a very large golden delicious apple. They are also known as Crispin apples. And similar to it's twin in appearance, the Mutzu amplifies the sweetness- it tastes honeyed and sweet.
Piñata- The stickers on piñata apples are characterized by a rainbow of color and marked with an exclamation point (Piñata!). With that, we expect a celebration in our mouth, and that's what you get: a zingy crunch of sweetness. This is a triple-cross between golden delicious, orange pippin and duchess of Oldenburg. The skin even looks like a piñata with red and yellow stripes.
September Wonder (Beni Shogun) - A relative of the Fuji apple, this variety is speckled flush and yellow. Expect the same taste as red fuji apples, with a predominantly sweet and refreshing characteristic.
Staymen- You'll want to use these guys in baking, because they are tangier in flavor and hold well in heat. You can taste a hint of spiciness as well.
Looking for a u-pick apple orchard to visit? FarmStar Living has a great list! Check it out here.
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