Harvest late October Season October through December or later Quality firm, juicy, low-acidity, very sweet Use excells as salad and fresh-eating apple

Gala

Harvest September Season October-November Quality crisp,dense flesh with mild, sweet flavor Use fresh-eating

Gala is certainly one of the gaudiest looking apples. It features intense red or orange color and a beautiful, conical shape. Gala is one of the fairly recent introductions, sometimes called "gourmet apples", that are specifically aimed at the segment of the public that has been demanding better flavor in store-bought apples. Gala, along with Fuji, Braeburn, Mutsu, and Pink Lady, gives the supermarket shopper a little more flavor and variety than in the past. As much as we like the older apples, there is no doubt that one could live well on just these five varieties. Be warned that Gala does not hold up in storage as well as the other four, and is much better purchased locally in season. Enjoy Gala when it is fresh in the fall and available from local growers in farm markets and fruit stands. It is being grown just about everywhere now. It is a sweet, mild apple. There are many strains, so don't judge the fruit by its color. Some are almost solid bright reddish-orange, others are striped. You will see New Zealand grown Galas in the supermarket, and they can be pretty good when they are in season, which for the southern hemisphere is early summer.

Ginger Gold

Harvest mid to late August Season August-September Quality sweet flavor, firm texture Use fresh-eating, salad

Ginger Gold is a fun apple that is getting easier to find, and we always depend on "Gingers" to inaugurate the apple eating season for us. It may be the most interesting fresh-eating apple of the early-ripening varieties. It has a fresh, clean, refreshing taste with a good balance of sweet and tart. This variety has good acceptance by kids with its juicy "snap" and sweetness. Some say it is reminiscent of pears in texture and flavor. Look for Ginger Gold early in the season and pick the ones that have ripened to a warm or pale yellow, sometimes with a red blush. Not as rich and heavy as fall varieties, Ginger Gold is the perfect summer apple. Have fun munching.

Golden Delicious

Harvest October Season October through December Quality large yellow fruit, very sweet, thin skinned Use fresh-eating, dessert, processing (sauce, pies, baking), freezing

One of the most popular apple varieties in the world and one that it is not easy to dislike with its agreeable taste, texture, aroma and appearance. It isn't a bold apple, rather an old and easy-going friend. Even if you are the more adventurous type, we challenge you to taste a ripe Golden Delicious picked right of the tree on a crisp fall day. You'll discover, like we did, that although tame, Golden Delicious is an easy apple to like; warm, sweet and mellow with just the right tang and juice. After all, it certainly has a lot more personality than a banana or a melon, and there are times when tame does the trick. Beware the ones that have sat in storage since the Reagan administration. Under those circumstances Golden Delicious can seem more like a difficult relative than an old friend.

Golden Russet

Harvest October Season October to January Quality sugary, dense, rich flesh Use fresh-eating, cider, storage

An old American variety that is the essence of a European gourmet apple; rich, dense, fine grained, full-flavored and crunchy. Golden Russet is considered to be the best cider apple of all time by many. If you are interested in trying a more challenging apple than what you typically find in the store, this is a good choice. It varies somewhat in quality, but it is hard to find a bad one, and is still grown in some quantity, mainly for cider. It is no beauty queen by American standards of beauty, which require a gaudy, plastic, manufactured look to anything we put in our mouths. Golden Russet will vary from a dull green to a brownish yellow with a coppery blush and have rough, russeted skin. This is all part of the character and personality of this little gem. There is one old, lone tree on an orchard near us, grown and tended by orchardist Versil White, and it has become like an old friend that we visit throughout the year. Last year there weren't enough apples on the tree to justify picking for market, but there were just enough to keep the Apple Journal staff happy.

Granny Smith

Harvest late October Season October through December Quality crisp and tart Use baking, sauce, juice

Not a bad fresh-eating variety, a little tart, but not sour, Granny is marketed for the most part as a cooking apple. It ships and stores very well, being very resilient and tolerant of handling. It is an attractive grass green, although the ones with a warm, pale cast and a little blush have better flavor.

Gravenstein

Harvest August Season August and September Quality thin-skinned, juicy, breaking and spicy Use fresh-eating, pies, sauce, baking

Gravenstein is probably the oldest and most distinctive summer variety. It is widely grown throughout Europe and in this country mainly in northern California. This is a variety that you want to find when it is in season, as the subtle and distinctive flavor does not stay at its peak for long. A beautiful red and yellow striped apple, Gravenstein is highly prized for sauce and for baking. The flavor and aroma are instantly recognizable and variously described as fruity or spicy. This is an excellent variety for dessert and culinary use, with a memorable and unusual flavor.

Grimes Golden

Harvest late September Season October through December Quality rich, sweet, spicy, syrup-like juice Use fresh-eating, cider, sauce

Grimes Golden is an old West Virginia variety that many older growers hold to be the best dessert apple available, when properly grown. With a rich spicy flavor and perfumed skin, it can be a gourmet delight when it is at its best. The flavor is elusive to describe, some likening it to coriander. Not as common as it once was, you will still find it here and there, and is definitely one to try. It is not quite as crisp as Golden Delicious, but makes up for that with character.