Kansas City Food Blog

​This time of year you can't help but end up with too many apples. And your first instinct is going to be to bake or cook with them before they go soft or mealy. But not all apples taste better after a go in the oven. A recent National Public Radio story set to find out which are your best bets.

The first lesson, which might be the most important, is that a mealy or rotten apple (unlike some other fruit) can't be saved by cooking it. In fact, sometimes heat will only intensify bitter flavors.

NPR sampled five varieties and not surprisingly, the Jonathan fared well in tests for maintaining its appearance and having an enhanced flavor. The winner was the honeycrisp, which has a sweet, tangy flavor, even when raw. It's the kind of baked apple that makes you forget about chocolate cake. 

Granny Smith was the loser, and here I'm going to strongly disagree. Thinly sliced granny smith apples and white cheddar cheese with Mister Mustard's sweet hot mustard on pan-toasted rye bread that is the kind of sandwich they were talking about on 30 Rock.

Regardless, because of apple picking or store specials (there were even pallets of apples at Sutherland's last week) you're going to get into a situation where you feel compelled to buy an ordinate amount of apples. So just try and keep in mind which ones might be good for baking.

And in light of the season, here's a cautionary note from the Barf Blog on the risks of unpasteurized cider. It might make you think twice the next time there's a free sample, because as the post suggests, "natural does not mean safe."

[Image via Flickr: flossen]