The apple of my eye.

When you think of fruit, most times you will think of the apple. It ranks the most popular fruit and dates back to biblical times when it tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Throughout history these juicy little treats have become a symbol of immorality and a cure for many illnesses, hence the saying " An apple a day.........". Many cultures have established roots for this little treat in history and the folklore travels from generation to generation building what the apple is today: Fruit of the Gods.

Apples are a representation of America, we name our companies,our towns and people after them. But do we know how to use the right apple for the right job? When making an apple pie the qualities we are looking for in an apple is taste and texture also how it will hold up after cooking. Golden Delicious are the forerunners in apples and when combined with Granny Smith apples give that sweet and tart combination.

I know that when going to the supermarket, the apple section can be a bit overwhelming with all the varieties available to the consumer. But here is a quick list of the apple pie apples that are good to use.
1.Jonathan
2.Pippin
3.Jonagold
4.Braeburn
5.Fuji
6.Pink Lady
7.Rome Beauty
8.Empire

To name just a few.

The apples that you should stay away from in cooking in pies are MacIntosh and Cortland. These apples become mushy after cooking and would be better suited in crisps, cobblers.
Our first President George Washington, when he was not running our country, pruned apple trees in his spare time. Harvesting apples is still to this day picked by hand. In Colonial times apples were known as melt-your-mouths, and winter bananas. Did you know the largest apple every picked was 3 pounds or the equivalence of one gallon of liquid. "The Big Apple" or NYC is tied to America's love of jazz music in 30's and 40's. It takes about 2 pounds of apples to make one nine inch pie :)

"Eat an apple on going to bed,and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." proverb printed in 1866.