A Guide to Fall Apples

Selecting the right apples for your needs can be overwhelming; the produce department is practically overflowing with intriguing, new apples this time of year. Use this helpful guide to fall apples to learn about some of the common varieties you’ll love, so you can bake, snack, and sauce with confidence.

Looking for more apples to taste test? The Co-op also stocks a wide array of heirloom apples, apples that can be traced back decades to varieties grown before World War II, the advent of large commercial farming, and the introduction of pesticides.

Ready to dive in? Check out numerous creative apple recipes from our Co-op friends.

Braeburn

Everything in perfect balance: Sweet, not sugary. Crisp, never hard. Stays firm when baking. Just a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, like an impeccably spiced cider. For the best Braeburn, look for a yellow base, a pink to red blush, and red stripes.

Best uses: baking, snacking, salads, and sauces

Fuji

Ultra sweet. Flavor forward. Refreshingly juicy. The Fuji, named for its hometown of Fujisaki, Japan, is world famous for its sweetness. A lovely light rose or a rich crimson, Fujis always have a pretty pink flush.

Best uses: baking, snacking, freezing, salads, sauces, and beverages

Gala

Wildly popular? Yes. Easy to love? Absolutely. Bite into mildly sweet flavors with a hint of vanilla. For a mellow, easy-eating apple, you’re in the right spot. Look for pink-orange stripes atop a yellow glow for a reliable, easy-going apple.

Best uses: baking, snacking, salads, sauces, and beverages

Granny Smith

Pucker up, tart apple lovers. Beyond the iconic light-green skin of this apple awaits a lemon-like acidity with just enough sweetness. Discovered by none other than Granny Smith on her farm in Australia.

Best uses: baking, snacking, freezing, salads, sauces, and beverages

Honeycrisp

Crisp and distinctly sweet—the name really says it all. This popular, versatile apple can truly do no wrong. The best Honeycrisp apples are yellow with a red blush covering the whole fruit.

Best uses: baking, snacking, freezing, salads, sauces, and beverages

Jonagold

Big size, giant taste. This tangy-sweet cruncher has a honey-like scent, starts sweet and ends tangy. Behind the red-flushed yellow skin, it’s light, crisp, and extremely juicy.

Best uses: baking, snacking, salads, sauces, and beverages

Mountain Rose

Yellow to green, covered with a pink blush, and speckled with faint white lenticels, the Mountain Rose's easy-bruising exterior hints at the colorful surprise stored inside. Bright pink to red flesh remains vivid even when cooked and balances acidity and sweetness while displaying notes of strawberry, citrus, and cotton candy.

Best uses: baking, snacking, salads, and sauces

Opal

No tan lines here—this sunny, bright gold apple naturally never browns. Cut into slices, Opals stay crisp and white for hours, as appealingly juicy and crisp when you cut them as in the lunchbox hours later. Famously the first apple to verified by the Non-GMO Project.

Best uses: baking, snacking, freezing, salads, sauces, and beverages

Information courtesy of the Washington Apple Commission.