An apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, but the many kinds of apples number in the dozens, and one may need a doctor for trying to commit them all to memory. This list of different varieties of apples narrows the choices down to some of the most popular ones, as well as offering some recommendations for serving them.

CORTLAND

Taking its name from Cortland County, New York, this is a mid-season apple variety that comes out in mid-September. It has easy-to-peel bright red skin with yellow streaks and gray-green spots, and sweet-smelling white flesh that does not discolor even when cut open. An all-purpose apple, it is recommended for use in baking apple pies and as applesauce.

EMPIRE

An early-October mid-season apple, the Empire is a cross between the McIntosh and Red Delicious apple varieties. Round and medium-sized with spotted skin and creamy-white flesh , this all-purpose apple is especially great for salads and applesauce.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

True to its name, the Golden Delicious has yellow skin and sweet, juicy, semi-firm flesh. Very fragile, it has a tendency to shrivel and bruise, and so must be handled carefully. In season from autumn to winter, it is used in pies, salads, applesauce and apple butter.

GRANNY SMITH

Named after Maria Ann Serwood Smith (1799-1870), who first cultivated it in 1868. The Granny Smith apple has light-green skin and has a texture harder than other apples of its hue. It is a favorite for use in salads and pies.

McINTOSH

Not named after the computer (most probably the other way around), this apple variety takes its name from John McIntosh, who discovered it in his farm in 1811. In season from early to mid-September, its skin is dark-red with green streaks and has a crisp, juicy, delicious flesh. It is favored for pies, applesauce and apple cider.

RED DELICIOUS

A late-season apple harvested in mid-October, the Red Delicious was at some point considered by some as The Great American Apple. Commonly eaten out of hand, the reasons for its name are perhaps obvious.

SPARTAN

The product of scientific breeding, the Spartan is a cross between the McIntosh and as yet unspecified apple variety. With dark-red, white-spotted skin, and ranging in size from medium to large, ithis all-purpose apple is sweeter and more crisp than its parent the McIntosh.

Apart from the ones just cited, the list of different variaties of apples goes on and on. Nutritious as well as delicious, the various types of apples are as numerous as the various ways of eating them, offering a multitude of options for enjoying what is perhaps the most popular among all fruits. If one has an apple a day, one might as well try a different kind each time.

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