Apples Season Always look for the right kind

Apple season begins: Find the right variety for each preparation
Clark apples and Piros apples open the local apple harvest season. Until October, the different varieties then deliver fresh fruit. And with good storage conditions and a little expertise, many of them can be kept for months - almost until the beginning of the next harvest. The availability may be a major reason why the apple is undisputedly the favorite fruit of the Germans. On average, every German citizen eats around 20 kg of apples a year. But also the variety and thus variety of taste and uses contribute to the success of the core fruits.

Apples: Pay attention to the right kind when preparing. Image: famveldman - fotolia

Currently only about 70 varieties are cultivated in Germany. Only about 30 of them play a bigger role in the market. The retailers primarily offer Elstar, Braeburn, the Gala Group and the Jonagold Group. They are all crisp and juicy - ideal dessert apples to bite. In addition, the front-runners of the trade are characterized by excellent transport and storage properties. They are available for many months.

Less known varieties, especially old, often regional apple varieties, there are, however, only a few weeks long. Many of them are only available at the weekly market or at yard sales.

The fruit salad tastes different every time with clear apples, almmene, Gravensteiner or gold rennet. On the cake are best sorts that do not crumble quickly, nor are too juicy. Boskoop, Cox Orange or Goldparmäne are ideal for baking. They also make good as baked apples. For compote bite-resistant varieties like Idared can be processed well, for Mus are fruits with loose pulp such as Berlepsch or Gravensteiner rather suitable.

Those who suffer from apple intolerance should avoid the market leaders for fresh consumption and instead resort to weak allergenic old varieties. Cooked and processed, all varieties are no problem for most people with allergies.

A few drops of lemon juice ensure that the apple meat does not turn brown after peeling and chopping.

A table with 20 apple varieties with their use and shelf life can be found at: www.aid.de/inhalt/aepfel-702.html. There is also more information on the production, labeling and processing of apples here. Eva Neumann, aid