The Ultimate Guide To Apples

While cooler weather and shorter days may make some folks yearn for the return of summer, even for just a day, it's important to remember that autumn also has its advantages — one of them being the appearance of crisp, refreshing apples harvested at their peak.

Click here to see The Ultimate Guide to Apples Slideshow

Recipes
With such an abundance of apples, though, how does a home cook figure out what to do with all of them? That's why The Daily Meal has rounded up 31 of its best apple recipes to help take the guess work out of the equation. Here are some highlights:

If you're looking for something sweet and easy, look no further than this Apple Pinwheels recipe; for something special, try Aliya LeeKong's Apple Pie with Star Anise Brown Butter; and for a true challenge, try Holly Herrick's Butterscotch and Caramel Apple Tarts.

Those who prefer something savory might want to try this Sausages with Apples and Onions recipe for a quick weeknight dinner, Apple Grilled Cheese with Smoked Gouda and Fontina for a kicked-up version of a familiar favorite, or, pull out all the stops with this Traditional Roast Pork with Crackling and Applesauce (although a bit of help from the butcher wouldn't hurt).

And finally — the healthy stuff. Meatless Monday's Apple Molasses Bran Muffins are the right way to start off the morning, while this Savoy Cabbage, Radicchio, and Apple Slaw is a perfect side dish. And, if you're looking for "just a salad," look no further than this refreshing Apple and Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts.

What to Buy
Once you've figured out what to make, though, how do you decide what kind of apple to buy? Based on some extensive research, The Daily Meal has put together this nifty chart of commonly found apple varieties that may come in handy:

Type of Apple	Best Use	Flavor/Aroma	Texture
Fuji	Eating raw; add to salads and slaw	Very sweet	Crisp
Red Delicious	Eating raw	Mildly sweet	Soft, sometimes dense and mealy
Granny Smith	Baking and sauces; also pairs well with savory foods like grilled cheese	Tart when raw; sweeter when cooked	Firm and crisp
Golden Delicious	Pies, salads, and sauces	Sweet when from warmer climates; more tart when from cooler climates	Soft with thin skin; fragile and bruises easily when raw, but holds its shape when cooked
Gala	Eating raw, all-purpose cooking, and bobbing	Mildly sweet	Thin-skinned and crisp
Braeburn	Eating raw and baking	Sweet and slightly tart	Crisp
McIntosh	Eating raw, applesauce, or apple butter	Sweet-tart and grows sweeter later on in the season; season runs from fall to early winter	Soft
Honeycrisp	Eating raw and pie	Sweet-tart	Crisp
Jonagold	Pie, smoothies, and all-purpose cooking	A cross, this apple gets a sweet-tart flavor from the Jonathan and the aroma of honey from the Golden Delicious	Crisp with thin skin
Cameo	Eating raw, baking, and all-purpose cooking; can make a "cameo" appearance instead of Golden Delicious	Sweet-tart with hints of honey and citrus	Thin-skinned with dense flesh
Empire	All-purpose cooking	Sweet like Red Delicious and tart like McIntosh	Firm with thin skin
Cortland	Eating raw, baking, and all-purpose cooking	Sweet-tart	Soft, but firmer than McIntosh

(Photos courtesy of flickr/Shaw Girl, flickr/Selbe B, flickr/Hanoian, flickr/Selbe B, flickr/vintagecat, flickr/LuLu Witch, flickr/Quasimime, flickr/ahemler, flickr/prorallypix, flickr/Dan.., flickr/Selbe B, flickr/MMarsolais, respectively)

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.