They are among the most common and perhaps for this reason the most neglected fruits, taken for granted: the apples, always present on our tables, especially in cold seasons when the variety of fruit is minimal.
We have perhaps forgotten their high nutritional value and their multiple beneficial properties? We know they are among the first fruits cultivated by man in the course of evolution?
Thanks to this long history, approx 7000 varieties of apples, each with specific properties and characteristics. We do not pretend to know them all, but at least the main ones: here are the 9 apple varieties among the most common in the country.
Read also Apples, recipes for all seasons >>
9 main apple varieties and their properties
Over the centuries the apple tree has been the subject of a long selection process, which has made it possible to improve the characteristics of productivity, quality and shelf life of the fruit.
Apple varieties come distinguished according to the ripening period: summer, autumn and winter. The assortment of autumn apples.
There are numerous varieties of apples - they can be yellow, green, orange or mottled; it is necessary to learn to recognize the best and juiciest ones and… the ones we like best!
1. Apple Renetta
Its name derives from the French reine, which means queen. It is a large apple, with a flattened shape with a yellow skin with dark spots. It keeps for a long time and when the skin becomes wrinkled its pulp is even better. It is the apple par excellence of South Tyrolean cuisine, used for the famous strudel and apple fritters. Given the high concentration of molecules with antioxidant properties, it is good to peel it at the last minute because it oxidizes quickly.
2. Apple Golden Delicious
It is a yellow apple with a sweet flavor and crunchy pulp. The best are those that have a small reddish face, indicating that the apple has been exposed to the sun on that side. The Golden Delicious has excellent versatility in the kitchen in both sweet and savory dishes, especially for preparing homemade jam and the classic apple pie.
3. Apple Stark Delicious
It probably is Snow White's apple, given its intense red skin. It has a sweet taste without acidity, it is excellent consumed naturally. When it is more mature its consistency becomes more floury, and can be used to prepare original savory dishes based on tempeh, quorn or chicken.
4. Apple Granny Smith
And the green apple par excellence, with a sour and refreshing taste. It has Australian origin and is ideal in salads and sorbets. It can be used creatively as a whole apple to fill since it does not lose its shape even if it is excavated, deprived of the pulp.
5. Apple Royal Gala
It is a very juicy and crunchy apple. It is recognized by the red skin with yellow shades, smooth and thin. It should be consumed immediately, so that it does not lose its aroma: it is very sweet and therefore children's favorite apple, ideal to be blended and used in centrifuged and fruit juices with no added sugar.
6. Apple Fuji
It was born in 1939 in Japan to become, to date, the most cultivated apple in the world. It has a reddish skin with yellow and green streaks. Its pulp is crunchy, sweet and very juicy; it should be savored on its own or in fruit salads.
7. Apple Annurca
It is recognized with the brand IGP and is originally from Campania in which it is used in sweets and in a typical liqueur. The properties of the annurca are found in the vinous red skin, the very intense aroma and the crunchy, juicy, slightly acidic pulp.
8. Apple Pink Lady
New in recent years in terms of apples: it is the only one with the peel with pink hues. Given the sugary properties of its pulp and its fruity flavor, it is excellent for recipes that include cooking in a pan or in the oven.
9. Apple Morganic scent
They are apples from the United States of America, they have a sweet taste, fresh and delicate aroma. The peel is streaked and has a variable color from red to uniform dark red. The fruit has a round or slightly flattened shape and medium-large size and compact pulp. AND the apple most used by the food industry to produce fruit juices, purees and other confectionery products: desserts, fruit salads, strudels, cakes and compotes.
Read also Apples and diet, when to eat them >>
