Apples are tasty, we all know that! Whether you are eating whole, slicing, juicing, or turning into apple pie - apples are great!
There are sweet apples, tart apples, baking apples, cooking apples, cider apples, and juicing apples. There are red apples, green apples, yellow apples, and apples all in between!
Get your apple peelerready because, in this article, we’re going to be taking a look at a few fun apple facts before giving you the definitive rundown of our all-time favorite apple varieties.
How many types of apples are there?
Before we start, it’s important to remember that there are thousands of different variants of apples. In fact, there are at least 7500 recorded varieties that are found all over the world.
In the United States, there is a minimum of at least 2500 different variants of apples! That’s a lot of choice! And there are more being bred all the time.
With that in mind, there’s no way we can list all the different varieties within this article. We do however have some facts about apples to share with you!
Fun facts about apples
Apples are absolutely fascinating. They have a long history of human cultivation, as the vast number of different varieties demonstrates. Here is our entertaining facts about apples:
- There are 2500 types of apple in the USA, but there’s only one apple that’s native, and that’s the Crabapple!
- Apples are first thought to have originated in Kazakhstan, where wild apples grew in the Tien Shan mountains. The original apple tree is thought to be theMalus siversii.
- From Kazakhstan, the apple spread along the Silk Road, first into Syria, then into Europe, where the Romans began cultivating and spreading apples all over their empire.
- The Pilgrims brought apples over to America from England, and the first apple orchard was planted in Boston in the early 1600s by Reverend William Blaxton.
- The heaviest apple ever recorded weighed 4.1 pounds and was grown and picked in Hirosaki, Japan.
- Apples are covered in a natural, waxy coating that protects them from the elements (farmers recreate this waxy coating with a synthetic coating to protect apples once picked!).
- Apples can be stored for as long as a year in temperature-controlled conditions before they make it to market. This stops food waste and allows us to enjoy apples all through the year!
- Fuji apples are thought to be thesweetest apples in the world (or at least the sweetest apple you can find in the store!).
- Green apples are much tarter than red apples due to the presence of higher levels of acidity in the skin.
- Apple pie is the national dessert of the USA, but the first recorded recipe dates back to 14th century England.
- The most popular, and widely known apple is the Red Delicious. Over 50 million Red Delicious apples are sold every year.
- Apples, along with oranges, are the two most popular types of fruit in the USA!
Fascinating, aren’t they? And there’s a lot more about apples just waiting to be discovered too!
Types of apples: top apple varieties list
Now it’s time to take a look at a few different varieties of apples. The following apples are all particularly popular in the US, but they’re also our favorites!
#1 Red Delicious
Let’s start with the Red Delicious, an apple which we already mentioned sells over 50 million annually. It’s widely grown and widely available and is thought to have originated at some point in the 1800s.
The Red Delicious is distinctly red (hence the name), and the apple itself has a somewhat mild-mannered taste. It’s not overbearingly sweet or tart but lies somewhere in the middle. It’s a great multipurpose apple, and perhaps that’s why it’s so undeniably popular!
#2 Golden Delicious
The Golden Delicious apple is not to be confused with the Red Delicious because these are both very different apples.
The Golden Delicious is known for its bright yellow coating (it’s not exactly golden, but we’ll let that slide), and they are one of the most popular varieties to be found in stores across the country.
The Golden Delicious is very sweet, and due to its soft middle, it often ends up being turned into applesauce or being turned into cider, or juice.
#3 Granny Smith
The Granny Smith apple is another classic that’s instantly recognizable. The Granny Smith is a large, green apple that was first cultivated in Australia in the 1860s. It made its way across the world, though, and it’s a preferred choice of apple for baking and cooking.
Granny Smith apples are distinctly tart and bitter (which is why they are popular for baking). They are also known to hold up well when being heated, another reason to keep them for the kitchen!
#4 Fuji
Fuji apples are some of the sweetest apples you can find in stores. This red apple was derived from the Red Delicious but crossed with much sweeter varieties. It’s red to green on the outside but overly sweet on the inside.
Fuji apples were developed in Japan (and named after Mount Fuji), but they are incredibly popular in the US. They are best enjoyed as a crunchy, sweet snack or sliced up into bite-sized pieces!
#5 Honeycrisp
The Honeycrisp is another wonderfully sweet variety of apples. As the name suggests, it’s also super crisp and crunchy - perfect for snacking on!
Honeycrisp apples are also commonly used in cooking, as they are able to hold up well under high heat. They offer a sweet contrast when used alongside a bitter Granny Smith apple - the classic Honeycrisp and Granny Smith combo makes for an excellent pie filling.
Honeycrisp apples are also excellent when turned into applesauce or pressed into apple juice or apple cider.
#6 Envy
Envy apples have red skin that’s tinged with yellow and light green, and they’re particularly valued for their crisp skin. These are crunchy apples, and they were first developed in New Zealand before being exported elsewhere.
They were only introduced to the US a decade or so ago, but they are already becoming increasingly popular as their reputation spreads. On the sweeter side, but very versatile (perfect for snacking, baking, or anything else, really!).
#7 Gala
Gala apples are another classic, and they rival the Red Delicious in terms of numbers grown and consumed in the USA. Gala apples were developed in New Zealand but have since spread all over the world.
These Gala apples are sweet and crunchy, which makes them wonderful multipurpose apples. Snack on a Gala for lunch, or turn them into apple sauce, apple cider, or apple juice. They are great for cooking and baking with, too, as Gala apples keep their shape well when they are in the oven!
Types of apples: what’s your favorite?
With so many different kinds of apples, it can be a real challenge deciding which to bring home from the grocery store!
Are you a fan of the classic Red Delicious, or do you enjoy the tartness of a Granny Smith apple?
If you’re an apple eater, then why not bookmark our guide to the best types of apples?