Choosing the Right Apple There are currently more than 3,000 varieties of apples, which range from mouth-puckering tart to candy-sweet in shades of green, gold, pink and red. Below are the most popular varieties and how to use them (the best uses for each apple are listed first). Some apples are recommended specifically for salads because their flesh is slow to brown. For baked apples, Rome Beauty is the best choice. Related Links Making Fresh Applesauce Apple Characteristics Best Uses Arkansas Black Crisp, juicy Eating, sauce Baldwin Crisp, juicy Baking, eating Braeburn Crisp, sweet/tart Eating, sauce, pie Bramley Sweet, tangy Baking, sauce Cortland Fragrant, tangy Salad, baking, sauce, eating Empire Super-crisp, sweet, juicy Eating, salad Fuji Sweet, juicy Eating Gala Crisp, fragrant, mildly tart Eating, baking, sauce Golden Delicious Juicy, sweet Sauce, baking, salads, eating Granny Smith Tart, crisp Baking, eating Gravenstein Crisp, tart Baking, sauce Idared Juicy, fragrant, tart Baking Jonagold Tart, juicy, crisp Eating, baking Jonathan Crisp, juicy Eating, sauce, pie Lady Apple Juicy, intensely sweet Eating, baking Macoun Firm, fragrant, very flavorful Eating, baking McIntosh Tart, juicy, slightly spicy, very soft Eating, sauce Mutsu Crisp, juicy Eating Northern Spy Full-flavored, very firm Baking, eating Red Delicious Crisp, mildly tart Eating Rome Beauty Slightly tart, firm Baking Spartan Well-balanced, sweet, tart Eating Winesap Sweet, juicy with a slightly fermented wine flavor Eating, sauce