It’s official: the fall equinox and the first day of autumn arrived on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 02:50 A.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere, and nearly synonymous with its arrival are the “U-Pick” signs. Even if you’re not in an apple-picking area, you can still pick them up at your local greengrocer, farmers’ market, or supermarket, just without the fun of the personal picking experience. With over 2,500 varieties available worldwide, the challenge is knowing which apple is best for the recipe you’re making. Some are better for baking, while others work best for dishes like applesauce or apple pie. Check the list of “Apples A-Z” for some of the most popular varieties found in the U.S., and don’t be afraid to mix and match for a blend of flavors.
APPLE-DATE CRUMBLE
Serves 6
For the filling
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon mixed spice or
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
For the crumble
1 cup flour
8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
1. Make the filling. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the raisins, dates, brown sugar, rum, butter, and spices; microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the mixture is syrupy. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and the apples; toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan; spread evenly.
3. Make the crumble. In a large bowl, combine the flour and butter. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until large clumps form. Stir in the sugar, oats, and pecans; scatter over the apple mixture. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil; bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the crumble is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
SODA BREAD TARTE TATIN
Serves 8
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 cup sugar
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced crosswise
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, for serving
1. In a small bowl, combine the raisins and whiskey; soak for 30 minutes. Drain; reserve the whiskey.
2. In a 10-inch ovenproof, nonstick skillet, combine the sugar, reserved whiskey, butter, and cardamom. Cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until th ebutter melts and begins to caramelize. Remove the skillet from heat. Starting in center, arrange apple slices in concentric circles over caramel.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and sugar. With a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingers, work or cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins and buttermilk; mix until the dough comes together.
4. Dust a work surface with flour; turn out the dough. With floured hands, form it into a ball. Knead for 20 seconds, then roll or pat the dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Place on top of the apples, tucking dough around the edge of the pan.
5. Bake the tart for 25 to 28 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a rimmed serving plate over the pan. With potholders to protect your hands, invert the tart onto a plate. Serve warm with ice cream or crème fraîche.
APPLES A TO Z
Braeburn: a complex sweet-tart flavor with a texture that remains firm when it's baked. Reddish, with yellow-green highlights, it’s excellent for eating, salads and for baking.
Cortland: juicy and slightly tart with bright red skin and white flesh. This is an excellent baking apple; equally good in salads and on cheese plates because the flesh doesn't brown and discolor quickly.
Empire: a hybrid of McIntosh and Red Delicious, this apple is firm-textured and sweet-tart in taste. It’s a good all-purpose apple for juice, sauce, baking, snacks, salads and drying.
Fuji: firm, crisp and juicy, with soft red to pinkish skin, Fuji is popular for both eating and baking because it holds its shape when cooked.
Gala: crisp and sweet with a mild flavor, Galas have yellow-orange skin with red striping. Their aromatic flavor makes them terrific for salads, applesauce and for pressing into cider.
Golden Delicious: bright yellow with a sweet, mellow flavor, this is a good all-around cooking apple that maintains its shape after baking.
Granny Smith: crisp and quite sour, this bright green apple is one of the most popular varieties of tart apples. It’s a good all-purpose cooking apple and is often paired with sweeter, spicier apples in cooking and baking.
Honeycrisp: crisp and juicy, with a honey-sweet and tart flavor, this is a fairly new apple variety. It’s a great eating apple and good for baking and applesauce.
Idared: tart and juicy with pale yellow-green flesh, this is a cross between Jonathan and Wagener, two old time New York varieties. Idareds make a beautiful pink applesauce when cooked with the skins on; also delicious for snacks and salads.
Jonagold: tangy and sweet, this apple is a cross between tart Jonathan and mellow Golden Delicious. With a yellow-green base and a blush stripe, it’s excellent for eating, cooking and with cheese.
Jonathan: tart with a rich, spicy-sweet flavor, this crimson beauty holds its shape well when baked and is also good in salads and for applesauce.
Macoun: sweet and aromatic, this apple is excellent for snacking, in salads, and in applesauce. With bright red skin and juicy white flesh, it makes a splash on a cheese plate.
McIntosh: juicy and crisp, this popular eating apple has bright red skin with green undertones. McIntosh tends to break down when cooked, so it’s best paired with other apples (or with a thickener added) when used in pies and other baked goods.
Mutsu: juicy, sweet and super crisp, this large, yellow-green fruit (also known as Crispin) has a sweet, refreshing flavor and is great for eating, in salads, and for baking.
Northern Spy: crisp, white, juicy flesh with a sweet-tart flavor. Stores well and is good for baking and juicing.
Red Delicious: dark red skin with sweet juicy flesh, these apples are popular for snacks and salads. Because they retain their good looks for a long time, they’re often used in Christmas decorations.
Rome: large red and mildly tart, this old-time variety is great for dishes such as fried apple slices or baked apples because they retain their shape. Combine mildly tart Rome with sweet Golden Delicious for perfect applesauce.
Winesap: firm and aromatic with a spicy bite, this sweet-flavored apple is good for sauces and baking.
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page now includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, including how to order her cookbooks, visit irishcook.com.
