Many cooking resources will tell you to use a variety of apples in the same pie -- and I agree. In the past I have mixed Granny Smith, Stayman, Fuji or Gala, and Golden Delicious because those are the varieties available to me most readily. I do not use Red Delicious in cooking at all. I try to mix 3 different apple varieties when I make an apple pie.

I love golden Delicious and Gala for pies. Red Delicious are good for Waldorf salad and eating out of hand.

Sue

I agree with Teresa, a mix is good, but it really depends on what is avail to you. I live in Northern Michigan apple country and my favorite cooking apple is Northern Spy, a strong, tart apple flavor and holds it shape for baking.

Nancy

I don't make apple pies if I can't get 20 ounce apples. I think they are also called pippin. I always get raves about my apple pies. Well, got. Now I am stuck with that damn gluten free crust and I wouldn't offer it to anyone who doesn't HAVE to eat gluten free. When I use 20 ounce apples I cut them into medium large pieces, use less sugar than is called for in my recipe, and add a little thickener (used to be flour but now is corn starch) to prevent a soggy bottom. The only problem with my pies is that I overfill the pan and then the top crust caves in a little during cooking. I have tried Granny Smith but 20 ounce is my favorite and always gets raves.

Like Nancy, I'm in Northern Michigan apple country and so get all kinds of apples. I like Northern Spy, Ida Red and Jonathan for pies, I use an old heirloom Wolf River if I can get them. There's a small organic orchard a few miles from me where I can get things like Pink Lady, Russet, Stayman, the old heirloom varieties.

I do use my homegrown Red Delicious for pie and for applesauce and the rest go into the cider press. I also like a mix of apples for nearly anything I make with apples, so I'll use whatever is on hand.

Dad always liked apples cooked to mush, even in pies, so for years I used MacIntosh and I still like the flavor but they sure cook up soft.

Annie

I like Green apples for baking - pies, muffins, whatever. Granny Smith or Pippin. Maybe I'll try a mix next time.

Bonnie

Granny Smith hands down for me.
Here on the east coast, Cortlands and Empire.
Also can use Golden Delicious, and Jonagold which is what they are selling around here by the bushelful. I guess they're a late apple.
You don't want Honeycrisp. A FANTASTIC eating apple, becomes totally bland when cooked. Just the opposite actually of Granny Smith. Same with Fuji. But that is just my opinion and experience. I see on the Web that others love both Fuji and Honeycrisp for baking. Hey, put enough brown sugar and cinnamon on an apple and they all taste yummy. Most people bake what they like to eat raw. All apples are pretty good baked IMHO. If you're a Honeycrips or Fuji fan, I'm just sharing my tastes. Your mileage may vary.
Supposedly Rome and Johnathan are good for pies but since I don't like eating them I don't buy them much. Also some people like Macs for their tart flavor. I go for my all around fave apple Empire, which has the flavor of a Mac but the crispness of a Delicious.
Braeburn is another all round good eating apple that may be OK baked. I am such a fan of Granny Smith, Cortland and Empire that I buy them all the time for pies so haven't had much experience with the Braeburns.

Actually I hardly ever make pies, what I make is cobbler and baked apples and apple cake. But pies too. I plan to be making a lot more apple stuff with my new toy, an apple peeler!

Johnathan....
I would prefer Winesap....but I haven't seen one since I left the east coast.
And in mid winter...after the Johnathans have passed their prime...Granny Smith....the best all purpose apple I have found.
Linda C

In our part of the country, Cameo's are great for pies and eating and freezing for pies and cobblers. .Jonagolds are great for applesauce/freezing, etc. When we lived on the east / mid / southern atlantic/ coast, Staymans were the absolute best for apple butter and sauce!! Can't get them here, however! Jonagold's and Cameo's are close seconds!

Lpink, I'm glad you said that about the Honeycrisps. I bought some for the first time last week. To eat out of hand they are DELICIOUS, and I was going to use a couple for muffins. I'm not going to do it if they lose flavor. They're just too darn good by themselves to lose any of that flavor.

Well, some people may like the Honeycrisp in pies or plain baked, but they are a very mild tasting apple when cooked, so IMHO they would get lost in baked goods. For muffins I would use Macs. They cook fast and have a nice tart flavor.

I just made three apple pies today with 50/50 golden delicious and granny smith. The third pie wasn't full enough to suit me, so I added the remaining 1/4 of a pineapple I found in the fridge and about 3/4 cup of leftover cherry compote I made the other day for a white cake topping. That goofy pie was absolutely delicious! And I bake a terrific apple pie!

The "ordinary" pies are really good, but that goofy one was the best. My son said I should stick to just the goofy pie from now on....and that's what we'll call it, I guess.

Oh boy, thanks for the apple tour. I always heard red delicious were not good for pies, and I don't usually choose them for eating as I find them usually mealy if too ripe. But the golden delicious did hold up well in the pie but I did have a mixture of apples which is why the pie turned otu so well. Anyway, pippins are out for me now, I'll use grannies which I like for eating and they can usually be found in the fridge around here. I always have fujis for eating but lately, they haven't been too flavorful, I think they are just too large. We'll see how my Thanksgiving apple pie turns out, hopefully I won't be too full to enjoy a piece before it's all gone.

We prefer Winesaps and Jonathons for baking. I have no problem mixing apples in a pie, but Granny Smith's tend to be a very hard apple that takes a lot longer to bake. If you mix it with a softer apple, the softer apple may get mushy before "Granny" is done. I do love a Granny Smith only pie, where you slice the apples extremely thin and it does not take so long to cook.
My hubby and I are not fans of Red Delciious (although Gold Delicious makes nice pies). But then we do not like soft apples. We love Macintosh when they are early, but they get soft too quick, and are not great for pies cause they turn to mush.
MMMMMM> Now I want apple pie for Thanksgiving!

Giving the big YUMMO to Sherrmann's Goofy Pie!

Mudlady, what about making a crisp with an oat based topping instead of a pie to avoid the gluten? I think that a good crisp is as good as a pie.

You can solve the crust caving in problem by sprinkling the apples with some of the sugar for the pie and putting them into a colander for about an hour to drain. We learned that from the Alton Brown apple pie recipe. The juice that drains off can be reduced and brushed on top of the pie or you could add the reduced juice back into the pie.