"Apples 101" .... please!

[Kim_in_TN]

Ok, I have become addicted to sliced apples! They are my staple for the munchies all day long and I love to dip them in peanut butter! I have been buying them already sliced in little recloseable bags that run aroun $3.00 each. These last only 2 to 3 days at the most. Needless to say, it is becoming an expensive habit.

So, today I decided to buy a bag of red apples and slice some up and put them in ziplock bags. First of all, they don't taste anything like the pre-packaged ones and secondly they turned brown almost immediately. I know the store packaged ones have preservatives that keep them fresh but is there some way to keep my own fresher for longer. Also, the package says just red and green apples but mine just taste so blah. What type of apple is the yummiest?

[notme]

Fuji apples or golden delicious are the best. Apples will brown almost immediately if sliced ahead of time. You can add lemon juice to the baggies and it will keep them fresh longer. Why not slice it up when you want one? Paying $3.00 for a little baggie is very expensive if you can buy the apples for .69 a pound. Fresh apples are much better tasting if you just eat them when you want them. There is an apple corer and slicer you can buy at almost any store that will slice them and take the core out in one motion.

Amazon.com: Dalla Piazza Apple Slicer/Corer: Kitchen & Dining (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GG5M0Q)

[xMenace]

Try lemon juice?

I usually eat Gala's or Braeburns. Fuji's aren't bad. I buy HoneyCrisps when I can find them.

[princesslinda]

I buy the granny smith, red delicious and gala for the most part, as these are the easiest to find in my area. I enjoy pink ladies and cameo also. I just wash them and keep them in a bowl on the counter and eat one when the urge hits. I know you can buy "Fruit Fresh" at the groc. store to sprinkle on them...or as the above poster said, lemon juice will work just as well.

[tanyatype1]

There are so many different varieties available and the tastes and textures vary incredibly! Do your own taste test! Buy a one of each and slice away! I love Gala apples, but my 8 year old likes the wee little Spartans, and my 11 year old likes the tart Granny Smith the best! Pineapple juice also works well for keeping the apples white after slicing them ~ basically, anything acidic works well. Cheers!

[mzteacher]

hi kim.
costco has some packages that have 8 six oz. bags...i really like those...i have decided there are some things if i really like it...i am worth spending a little more and getting it...for you that may be apples....for me i some times get the cauliflower bags of pre cut pre washed you can micro in the bag...i eat healthier if it is ready to cook at home before work to bring for lunch...so keep trying to see if you find an apple you love that you can cut...until then splurge on pre cut apples!! it does sound like you are working so hard to be healthy right now....costco ones may be cheaper...i do like gala's and fuji's....just my 2 cents!
susan

[Jules49]

I love the Pink Ladies but have a hard time finding them. I live in a little bitty town and they never have them. Buy many when I to the doctor 100 miles away. They only have them at certain times of the year.

[birdyland]

You can get ascorbic acid powder (vit C) at the groc/health store to put on apples to keep them from browning...

I like "pacific rose" apples. Buy one of each and see what you like!

[Scrabblechick]

In east Tennessee in the fall, Kim, you should be able to find jonathans. Those are my favorite: crisp and sweet-tart. Not crazy about red delicious. I like Galas and Braeburns, too, and Fujis. Granny Smith are good for baking, since they hold their shape very well.

If you like a yellow apple, try a jonagold. Cross between golden delicious and a jonathan. Mighty tasty.

[Dimes]

I gotta go with the good old fashioned MacIntosh. I guess I am simple at heart.

I like Spys as well, mostly because they remind me of apple pie.

[SuzieP64]

I get Galas from Sam's Club ... they are the best I've ever had. Strange tho ... I bought Galas from Walmart and they taste like ****. I don't understand why since they are made from same Galas. Mmmmm ...

[amy4041]

I would suggest just cutting one up when you want one. It will stay fresher longer that way. I like to sprinkle homemade cinnamon/splenda mix on apples.

[Evermont]

If you really like spreading your apple out through the day, you might try this: Use lemon (or any acid like lime juice or vinegar) just a teaspoon or so in a bowl of cold/ice water in the fridge. Experiment to see how little acid you need.

While you're experimenting: try every kind of apple you can get your hands on. Taste each kind more than once and write down your "review" of each type. Make a list of four or five varieties that you like! Some apples are better for certain purposes too so keep that in mind when deciding which you like.

[mzteacher]

amy...tried your "I like to sprinkle homemade cinnamon/splenda mix on apples."...really good on my costco sliced apples..thanks!
susan

[Tattoo azz]

Cox's orange pippin mmmmmmmm you know its ripe cos when you shake it the pips rattle, Bramleys are great for baking with .

[ShintoBean]

I read about this tip, but haven't yet tried it myself:

Using one of the apple coring/slicing tools, slice the apple, but don't go all the way through the bottom, so all of the pieces are still "connected" at the bottom. Take the corer out, wrap up the apple, and take with you! It's perfect for snacks on the go, you can just peel off the slices whenever you want them, and they don't brown! (at least according the magazine i got the tip from)
-Shannon

[shabbie]

If you really like spreading your apple out through the day, you might try this: Use lemon (or any acid like lime juice or vinegar) just a teaspoon or so in a bowl of cold/ice water in the fridge. Experiment to see how little acid you need.


thats pretty much what i was going to suggest lol, i would probably chose to use appl ecider vinegar fro this as its less 'vinegary' if that makes sense.

i love golden delicious, nice and crisp and green. cant eat em when they go yellow! yuk!

love them sprinkled with cinnamon too. try making a sprinkle of salt,splenda and either cinnamon or chinese 5 spice. i had it in Thailand and its delicious!

[Evermont]

Cool - some great ideas going in this thread!

[jerseygirl]

Hi..Where do you get apples for .69 a lb? where I am you need to add $1.00 to it for $1.69 a lb.

[kstreeter513]

Try lemon juice?

I usually eat Gala's or Braeburns. Fuji's aren't bad. I buy HoneyCrisps when I can find them.

OMG I second the honeycrisp apples. Delicious, but you can only find them in the fall. Sigh

[kstreeter513]

I get Galas from Sam's Club ... they are the best I've ever had. Strange tho ... I bought Galas from Walmart and they taste like ****. I don't understand why since they are made from same Galas. Mmmmm ...

Sorry but almost ALL produce from wal-mart sucks hard core.

[owlyn]

This would be an interesting poll. Aside from the true Winesap- which I can no longer find (it's been years- every fall I am disappointed), only the stupid Stayman Winesap, which is NOT the same thing- I like Pink Ladies the best. There's a new variety that is pretty good, too, called Jazz. Very similar to Pink Ladies, just as crisp but just a tad sweeter, and a bit larger. 22 grams CHO. I despise the very popular, pretty, Red Delicious, which I am convinced is popular only because of its name. It is nothing but mush. Galas aren't bad, but I like the Jazz better. BTW, the Jazz is a cross between the Royal Gala and the Braeburn.

[jerseygirl]

This would be an interesting poll. Aside from the true Winesap- which I can no longer find (it's been years- every fall I am disappointed), only the stupid Stayman Winesap, which is NOT the same thing-

winesap apples were my all time fav...i can no longer find them either..went apple picking and the signs said winesap with stayman printed underneath.. agree that they are not the same...question where are they??????

[Alice]

I have a nifty gadget that cores and slices apples in one swift move...try the grocery store gadget aisle...or William Sonoma for sure.

[PepsiLvr]

I really love Fuji apples they have never disappointed me. Can't help much with the slices turning brown. I just eat them whole.