I realize everyone has their favorites. And there are no wrong answers in varieties. I barely side with Norfolk Beefing over Peasgood Nonsuch. But hope to have Annie Elizabeth, Striped Beefing, Howgate Wonder and Appletown Wonder next year.
I'm also interested that my Wallace Howard's are extremely vigorous and are said to be a large tart cooker. I have heard good things about Cortland. And am curious if any of Etter's creations are good cookers.
What are your experiences?
For me it depends on what apple thing I am making. For some things, like pie, I try and get as many kinds of apple as possible, some total break down, and some are quite solid. I find that variety is less important for say a cake. I tend to like very firm very tart apples in cooking. My wife and I don't really like applesauce and we have no kids. I l like Newtown Pippin fresh, but cooked it turns into a sauce. That's great if that's what you want, but if you are making baked apples the texture baked is very important and you can't do a blend like you can in a pie. If I had to chose just one its Winesap, but that is based on what I how I cook, not just flavor. Another thing we make is cider syrup, fresh juice cooked down to the consistency of maple syrup. Very nice additive, tastes of clove cinnamon and nutmeg, even those are not in it.
You have tasted a great deal more apples than I have. I lived in Socal for 20 year and had and grew a lot of citrus. If you even have a chance to have a Dancy, especially from Ojai, CA , I recommend it. It is an heirloom mandarin, and has all the subtly of an heirloom apple.
I'm pretty limited in breadth and don't know how it would fair in your climate, but I have and really like a Belle de Boskoop. It's some mighty fine eating, tart and sweet, can get some size. Danish friend recognized the name as 'that's a really good cooking apple'... I know it's good on a 'finger and moat' cooker on the wood stove.
Not really a southern apple, 1856 from the Netherlands, high acid, and mass Vit. C. It's a Triploid. Put it on your for fun list, if it works out for you, I'd think you'd not be disappointed.
I grow Belle de Boskoop. I just liked it because I tend to like high vitamin C apples for flavor. The wife makes German apple cake and lots of pies, crisps, cobblers, etc. I don't think she is too particular about the type of apple. Maybe I should suggest she make something with Belle de Boskoop.
John S
PDX OR
Not in any particular order, these are my favs: Bramley's Seedling, Calville Blanc, Gravenstein (it wouldn't be summer here without the annual Gravenstein pie), and Yellow Transparent. I'd say the first three are OMG good. I might think twice about recommending the YT, but we had an old YT tree when I was a kid. We made buckets of YT sauce, and I thought it was a treat. Best with a little splash of fresh cream -- applesauce a la mode.
These days, I also like me some "everybody in the kettle together" sauce to use up whatever needs using up. Never bad, and sometimes really good.
Cheers, kat
I must grafted over my Bramley's because it has a crazy growth habit, it oversets huge fruit, they fall off while green, and I don't have that much use for a tart apple that dissolves when cooked. I'd been so excited to try on reputation. I'm not sure I've had classic British apple pie. I made a good apple pie with mine, but there are plenty of other varieties I can do that with, and I prefer some evidence of the apple slice shape in the pie.
There was a Yellow Transparent at the place when we got it. Unfortunately it was over the septic drain field so I took it out. It's big advantages are that it ripens super early, and the skin is thin and melts in when you cook it. No need to remove the skin for smooth sauce. It's also very tart and with added sugar makes good sweet/tart sauce. It doesn't keep at all and texture goes really fast. Best for sauce.
I think Shaun Shepherd uses Baldwin for his apple pies and they are delicious.
Shaun when I was there getting Baldwin didn't say he remembered telling you the recommendation you were thinking came from Shaun. I got Baldwin from him anyways. Should I graft yours to one of my spare G30 rootstocks for you, or just hand you the scion?
I wanted to see you personally anyways on site maintenance questions I have.
@Rooney
Thanks for the update from Shaun. I should probably stop saying that then 🙂 At least I said "I think".
I may be mixing up multiple conversations. I recollect Shaun sharing pie at the Apple ID table, so it must have been All About Fruit Show, and he said what variety apples he used.
Years later I think Joanie told me that Shaun recommends Baldwin (to grow). So I may have made an amalgam of the two memories. Or I could have those wrong too.
Geez folks!
Just reading this thread has me drooling and fantasizing about freshly baked apple pie. (Our dog, Natty, has been drooling too as I read it to her). When I lived in the rural midwest in small communities, I recall that apple pies were basically a "given" at a particular time of year. Then I moved to southern California and you'd never even hear mention of apple pie. I think that much of apple pie baking is "old world" traditional and cultural.
I think that everybody by now knows that 'Bramley's Seedling" is Great Britain's premier, favorite cooking apple. It's not just tart, but also has a surprising amount of sweetness to it. However, from my reading in various references, great apple pie makers tend to have a magic combination of a couple of varieties: one which holds its shape after baking and helps to provide "substance" in the pie, and another that softens up during baking and helps to add that extra "oomph". I get the impression that "master apple pie bakers" in different parts of the country have their own favorites (--based on what grows best locally--) for that magic combination.
And then, of course, there are the additional spices, which I think also varies regionally and culturally. Some go heavy on the cinnamon, others on the grated nutmeg, and some may include brown sugar or molasses.
I've gotta stop now. I'm gettin' hungry... 
Reinettes.
Julie Child had a person on Master Chefs about 30 years ago. That person made an apple tart with a base of roasted apples. the roasted apples were spiced with 5 spice powder from China. Five spice powder is star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. I have made it several times in the past 30 years, it is just fantastic.
She says that this is the closest she's found to what she makes:
https://www.food.com/recipe/ge.....cake-16883
John S
PDX OR
John (and Gail), That cake looks fabulous. I'm going to have to bake one.
Chris M -- Might you have a recipe? If not, bummer. If you cook it from memory, could you please describe how you use the roasted apples in a tart? Sounds really cool, and I'd like to make one up.
Thanks, kat, looking forward to dessert
Blind bake a pastry tart dough. (I use TJ pie crust dough)
Filling:
Peel seed and cut up 6 medium baking apples, toss with ¾ cup sugar, juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp flour, and pinch of chinese 5 spice powder.(a tbs of calvados, rum, or cognac if you have it)
Roast for 20 minutes at 375, then use a fork or potato masher to mash up and put into crust.
The topping
3 medium apples
Peeled cored and sliced thin and tossed with lemon juice. Then layer on top of tart in a circular pattern twice, Add melted butter and sugar on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 375.
Good warm or room temperature plain or, creme fraiche, whipped cream, or ice cream can accompany.
Bad news is you are going to have to share it. Everyone near your house will smell the apples and the spices and will find a reason to visit.
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