Favorite apple for pies.

17 years ago

What's your favorite apple for pie making? I have a huge preference for 20 ounce apples, but have to use far less sugar than any recipe calls for due to the sweetness of the 20 ouncers. They hold their shape and don't cook into mush, another reason I like them. I have to make a pie for an Inaguration lunch and the local markets are out of 20 ouncers, so I bought Granny Smiths. What differences, other than sweetness, should I expect.

Another cute reason I have to make pies--My snow blower is broken and my loooong drive and turn around space were under a foot of snow from maybe three different storms. The various layers of snow made terribly heavy shoveling and the heap the plow leaves at the end of the drive was terrible. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I really need to keep it. Out of the blue, my neighbor across the street noticed I hadn't blown the snow or left the house for days. He came over with his garden tractor and attached plow and did a great job for me. Afterward, I went to thank him in his drive and he was just "Oh shucks" about being a nice neighbor. I was so happy I hugged him and he looked awfully uncomfortable. I guess it is good to love my neighbor, but not to hug him. So--I am going to take an apple pie to his family and thank him that way.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

lindac
17 years ago
Yep....cooking is love.....and sometimes so is shoveling!
This time of the year, I use Granny Smith too....they hold their shape well and have a nice tartness.
In october...I prefer Jonathens.
Linda C
aliceinmd
17 years ago
When we lived in Albany, NY we used Northern Spy apples for pies. Here in Maryland, we eat Honeycrisp and Gala, but we can't get Northern Spy so we don't make pies. I guess we were really spoiled up north.
Related Discussions
Favorite Winter Squash Variety For Making Good Old Homemade Pies
Q
Comments (8)
I totally agree on the butternuts, because they taste wonderful, resist squash vine borers, and store just great. However, for pure pie perfection I would have to vote for a good, dense buttercup -- the round green ones with a button on the bottom. If I had to face Bobby Flay in a squash pie throwdown, there is no doubt that I would start with a beautiful buttercup. They are much bigger plants than butternuts, and they develop so many roots along the stems that they often keep producing after borers infest the primary crown. If you have space, get a buttercup from Johnny's or High Mowing and stand back. Here is a link that might be useful: my website
...See More
Apple Pies - A couple questions
Q
Comments (2)
Cookie, you will probably get several different answers to your questions, but.....The lard will make a more tender, flakier pie crust. I freeze fruit pies unbaked.
...See More
Apple pies...............
Q
Comments (11)
Ohiomom. The other apple tree that ripened in August was a yellow apple with a white flesh. I wonder if it was also a Wealthy apple. Made great pies. Nancy No, I used my favourite pasty recipe. I've tried many different pastries over the years including some with the addition of vinegar or lemon but this is the one that I always come back to. It has never failed me. A tender crust and it is easy to work with. And can be used for both savory and sweet pies/tarts. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Butter-Lard Pastry ================== 2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup lard (or shortening- Crisco) 5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water (note: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.) Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard. (Note: If I use the cuisinart to cut in my fat and then I move the mixture to a bowl and add the water by hand). I like to do this by feel which I find I can't do by machine. It is easy to overwork the dough using the FP resulting in a tough crust. Put flour mixture in bowl and add water mixing with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc and refrigerate for 1 hour.
...See More
Best apple for pies
Q
Comments (21)
This is so funny because one year I made a pie with Empire apples (which I love) and in my mind it wasn't "mushy" enough so it was a failure, more or less. Then I took it to work and my co-workers raved about it, with one of them saying, "I like this because you can see and taste the individual bits of apples. That's the best kind of apple pie." So it's quite a matter of taste. I made applesauce last weekend for my mom with McIntosh, which gives you the standard type of applesauce like you get in the store bought jars. She loved it, I hated it. I like mine chunky and thick, with individual pieces of apple still left, so I use golden delicious or Empire for mine. I had never heard of Cortland or Empire apples until I had moved out east, but then out east you hardly ever see Jonathans, although now they have Jonagolds, which I guess are a cross? Now I am seeing both Cortlands and Empire in Michigan. Nowdays I have to limit my apple consumption to Gala and Fuji and Pink Lady, mostly. I cheat though, for pies and the like. Plus I really love Empire apples. They are the sassy offspring of red delicious I think. That apple aint what it used to be, although it is BF's favorite still.
...See More
Terri_PacNW
17 years ago
Gravensteins sometimes...I like to actually mix varieties..some cook down to applesauce some stay firm...I like the dual texture.
mudlady_gw
Original Author
17 years ago
I love Honeycrisp but never thought of them as a pie apple. I have actually made them into applesauce and added no sugar. Here in upstate NY, near Syracuse, we had a terrible hailstorm last year that rsulted in local apples being quite expensive.
seagrass_gw Cape Cod
17 years ago
My mother-in-law always made her apple pies with Cortland apples, and even now when I buy apples to bake with I follow her example.

seagrass
canarybird01
17 years ago
I use Granny Smith. Not too much choice in apples here but I do find they are the best.

SharonCb
nan_nc
17 years ago
Gravensteins are my all-time favorite, but they are unavailable here. Granny Smith is the second choice, as we don't really care for overly sweet pie. Has anyone else mixed apple and rhubarb? Delicious!
lpinkmountain
17 years ago
Granny Smith, hands down. Also Cortlands. Empire are OK. If you can't get any of those, Macs, Jonathans or Rome apples.
caflowerluver
17 years ago
My DH's all time favorite are Pippins. They are tart and hold up well. We also don't like a sweet or mushy pie. Also that is what you can find out here in CA. Then I would pick Granny Smiths or Gravensteins, though our own Winesap makes a good pie too.
Clare
kathleen_li
17 years ago
My mom always mixed several varieties in her pie, and I do too...always include Granny in the mix though...
ghoghunter
17 years ago
I love to bake with Granny Smith apples. They have a great tart flavor and yes I love rhubarb too
Joann
dedtired
17 years ago
My mom always uses MacIntosh, so that is the apple of choice for me. I like the apple slices to bake down, not hold their shape. I really don't like an apple pie that has apple slices that are firm.

I made a pie with Gala apples once and they turned out similar to Macs.

The best apples for just eating, for me, are Honeycrisps. Too bad they have such a short season and cost a fortune.
Lars
17 years ago
In Texas I always used Winesap apples, but any firm tart apple will do. The sweet ones do not work as well and often become mealy. I haven't made apple pie in a while because we don't eat many desserts, although I used to be a pastry chef, when I lived in San Francisco.

Lars

Favorite apple for pies.

Comments (13)

lindac

aliceinmd

Related Discussions

Terri_PacNW

mudlady_gw
Original Author

seagrass_gw Cape Cod

canarybird01

nan_nc

lpinkmountain

caflowerluver

kathleen_li

ghoghunter

dedtired

Lars

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Favorite apple for pies.

Comments (13)

Related Discussions

mudlady_gwOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mudlady_gw
Original Author