How to Pick Out Apples at the Store
Apples come in so many flavors and textures that picking the right type can often make or break your dish. For baking, the best boast firm textures that can take the heat. For applesauce, softer apples are preferred. Read more about apple varieties in Baking with Apples.
How to Store Apples
Though best in autumn, apples are available year-round. Store in a dry, cool place. They'll keep best if the individual apples don't touch--it's true, one bad apple spoils the bunch! If you store them in the fridge, keep them away from lettuce and other delicate produce, as apples cause fruits and vegetables to ripen and/or spoil faster.
Meet the Perfect Apple
Of the 2,500 apple varieties grown in the U.S. today, eight account for 80 percent of production. Because they're often grown for the attractiveness of shape and color as much as for taste, it can pay to sample the more exotic varieties found at farmer's markets. You might find the apple you've been looking for all your life!
