Cooking apple
Apples used primarily for cooking, larger and tarter than dessert varieties.
A cooking apple, also known as a culinary apple, is an apple variety used primarily for cooking rather than eating raw. These apples are generally larger and tarter than dessert apples, with some varieties having firm flesh that does not break down much when cooked. Cooking apples are distinguished from dessert apples by their culinary properties, though the categories are suggestive rather than exact.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Horticulture
- Known for
- Used primarily for cooking, larger and tarter than dessert apples
- Characteristics
- Firm flesh
- high acid content
- some varieties froth when cooked
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cooking apples are cultivated for firmness and tartness, though each variety has unique qualities. The categories of 'cooking' and 'eating' are suggestive rather than exact. In 1842, John Claudius Loudon wrote that apples for kitchen use are characterized by the property of 'falling'—forming a pulpy mass when baked or boiled—and by large size. Some apples fall when green, like the Keswick, Carlisle, and Hawthornden, while others fall only after ripe, such as russet tribes. Those that fall when green are particularly valuable for early-season sauces.
Reader's Guide
Cooking apples are significant because they enable a wide range of culinary preparations, from sauces and preserves to baked dishes and pies. In the UK, roast pork is commonly served with cold apple sauce made from boiled and mashed apples. Baked apples are prepared by removing the core and stuffing the cavity with fruits, sugar, raisins, or cinnamon, sometimes with liquor. Apple dumplings add a pastry crust. Britain grows a large range of apples specifically for cooking, while worldwide dual-purpose varieties (for both cooking and eating raw) are more widely grown. The testing method for cooking apples involves simmering a wedge until tender and checking if the shape remains intact, then tasting to assess flavor and need for sugar. This practical approach underscores the importance of texture and flavor in culinary apple selection.
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