On the market stalls, the apples announce the color. Red, green, yellow, pink or purple, it's a festival! To avoid being lost, we tell you how to identify them and use them in the kitchen, without any problems.
Each apple has its own particularity. Whether for its more or less pronounced taste, its more or less tender flesh or its more or less tangy juice, each variety is distinguished, at first glance, by its size and color. Some lose their consistency when cooked, others retain it and this is the reason why not all apples are created equal. The Royal Gala and Pink Lady are best eaten, while the Golden are ideal for preparing a compote. For a slightly caramelized taste, Fuji will delight the taste buds more than a pippin with lemony notes. Not to mention other lesser-known and more rustic varieties of apples, which are used more for pan-fried dishes or in tatin. As you will have understood, behind each apple there is much more than just a fruit. We present to you some varieties and the best ways to consume them.
Golden
© bhofack2 / iStock
It is the reference apple for cooking. Full-bodied, soft and crunchy, with its color tinted between yellow and pink, it is delicious when eaten and keeps its shape in the kitchen. We love it in tarts, for compotes, in the oven and is ideal in tatin.
Available until the end of June.
Our top recipe : Apple tartlets
Royal Gala
© Miguel Perfectti / iStock
Gala outfit which mixes reds and yellows for beauty, with firm, crunchy flesh and a sweet taste which plays the balance of firm and tender while keeping a pretty color in the oven.
Available until February.
Our top recipe : Dried apples
Granny Smith
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The ultimate green apple. Toned, very tangy and firm, the beauty devours itself with its eyes and sinks its teeth into it. Also think about cooking it as a tartare with fish.
Available until the end of April.
Our top recipe : Wolf and apple tartare
Fuji
© Wiktory/iStock
If the refreshing, juicy and crunchy variety struggles to maintain its firmness in the kitchen despite its sweet notes of honey and caramel, it is in the crunch that the charm works. It is recognized by its fairly contrasting double shade of yellow and red.
Available until the end of June.
Our top recipe? Apple pies
Canadian gray pippin
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With her bronze dress, the little queen is not a little person. A bit acidic, a bit sweet and rustic in appearance, it is simply crunchy with its lemony aromas.
We love it as a snack, in compote, or in the oven but is exquisite with savory dishes: meat, couscous, etc.
Available until the end of March
Our top recipe : Mini cinnamon tatins
Pinklady
© CarlaMc / iStock
A pretty smooth and shiny color for this great lady with a sweet and juicy flavor that can be enjoyed as much in a pie as in a snack. Ideal as a crumble.
Available until May.
Our top recipe : Spice crumble
Elstar
© ueuaphoto / iStock
Star of the crunch, this apple with its two-tone color, juicy and fragrant, marked by a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness, is also excellent in a pie or in the oven.
Available until March.
Our top recipe : Grated apple and pistachios meringue tart
Antares
© Getty
A bit rustic, with its orange-red color which makes it look like an old-fashioned apple, it has crunchy, juicy and very fragrant flesh. Excellent with a knife, divine in pies with a good balance of sweetness and acidity, it also has excellent cooking properties: pan-fried, in the oven or in a savory dish.
Available until the beginning of April.
Our top recipe : Apple and goat cheese bricks
Belchard Chanteclerc
© Getty
With its vintage yellow color and its rough skin which gives it a rustic appearance, its tender flesh, its sweet, very fragrant flavor, it is perfect in pies and divine in the oven.
Available until June.
Our top recipe : Baked apples
Belle of Boskoop
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With her olive skin, the pretty curvy woman wears a striped dress where yellow, green, red and brown mingle. Barely sweet and fragrant, it is ideal in tarts or croque, and is excellent in tatin.
Available until mid March
Our top recipe : Apple tatin Or Normandy Pie
Honey crunch
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With its slightly two-tone and fragrant color, it is as crunchy as it is juicy and has the right sweet/tart balance. The ultimate snacking apple, it holds up well when cooked and is recommended in the preparation of savory dishes.
Available until March.
Our top recipe : Apple filet mignon
Queen of Reinettes
© Getty
Royal in its red-orange-golden yellow color, with its sweet and discreetly tangy flesh, it holds its own, raw or cooked, but the tart is its kingdom.
Available until October
Our top recipe : Compote Or Thin tart
Jonagold
© Kateryna Bibro / iStock
Soft, melting and with a color that announces the color, it lends itself to all desires and borders on success as a baked tart.
Available until the end of June.
Our top recipe : Apple and grape pie
