WORLDLY

America’s Favorite Apples: 5 Most Popular Varietals

Here in the USA, we have the expression, “American as apple pie.” Because, well, apples have been a popular mainstay here since the 1600s.

From pies to cider, tea, jelly, muffins, donuts, applesauce and more, we have a delightful diversity of ways to enjoy this quintessential American fruit.

As I share in the Apple episode of my Fascinating podcast series, The United States of Yum!, here in the USA, we harvest over 30 billion apples a year, commercially. Spanning over 100 apple varietals.

Of those, there are 5 varietals that reign supreme as America’s favorite apples...

Granny Smith Apple

Granny Smith apples are tart, crisp, firm and crunchy. Which makes them a popular choice for cooking; salads; and baking a good ol’ fashioned apple pie.

Turns out, the Granny Smith apple is named after an actual granny! Its propagator was Maria Ann Smith, a pioneering Englishwoman who immigrated to Australia in the 1830s with her husband and five children.

Thirty years later, Maria discovered a unique apple seedling growing on her family farm that, she believed, was a wild mutation of a French crabapple seed she had tossed out of her kitchen window one immemorable day.

Fuji Apple

The Fuji apple’s namesake is Mt. Fuji, an active volcano and Japan’s highest mountain peak.

It was cultivated in the northern Japanese town of Fujisaki in the late 1930s, as a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet.

Fuji apples are celebrated for their sweetness, juiciness, crispness, and long shelf life. In fact, of the 5 most popular apples grown in the USA, Fuji is reputed to be the sweetest.

Americans love eating it in salads; and as a light and healthy snack.

Honeycrisp Apple

Honeycrisp apples are juicy, crunchy and sweet. They are a popular favorite amongst bakers who like their apple pies less tart, more sweet and juicy.

Cultivated at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, Honeycrisp is a cross between the Keepsake apple and a top-secret, proprietary apple at the university with the code name: MN 1627. Today, it is the official state fruit of Minnesota.

Apple growers say that, when shopping for Honeycrisps, the tastiest ones have a yellow base with a red blush covering the entire fruit.

Americans Love These 4 Apples So Much, They Made it 'Official'

Red Delicious Apple

Once upon a time, in the 1800s, Red Delicious apples were heralded as the king of apples here in the USA.

First discovered as a wild seedling on a farm in Iowa, American settlers fell in love with its sweetness, crunchiness, mild flavor, and long shelf life.

Nowadays, Americans enjoy adding it to a bountiful salad; or snacking on it between meals.

Gala Apple

America’s favorite apple is Gala. Perhaps because it is so easy going!

Cultivated in New Zealand in the 1930s, it is a cross between Kidd’s Orange Red and Golden Delicious.

Gala apples are easy to grow and easy to eat. They boast a lovely balance of sweetness and softness that is light and flavorful for salads, snacking, cooking and baking galore.

Data source: United States Department of Agriculture