Nine out of ten people don’t give too much thought to the numerous varieties of juicing apples when they are out shopping. We are too used to buying whatever is displayed in the grocery stores, those which have already been selected based on appearance, flavor and the fact that they are easy to cultivate.
But it may interest you to know that there are well over 7500 varieties of apple grown all over the world. A popular question that usually arises is, “do all these apples taste the same?”
And are all of them good apples for juicing?
The answer is a resounding “no”; each apple has its own unique taste, and if you’re thinking of juicing them you should keep in mind the freedom of choice you have in this regard. There are a wide variety of apples to choose from!
Mind you, some apples like the purple-colored star apple orchards of the West Indies shouldn’t be juiced; they taste awful, and their skin is heavy in latex. But even this should help you understand just how vast the world of apples really is.
So, which types of apples are best for juicing? You’ve come to the right place. Everything you need to know about the best types of apples for juicing is listed below.
What apples are best for juicing?
Red Delicious
You know it, you love it: the red delicious apple is very popular here in the United States. This delicious apple was discovered in the mid-1870s in Peru, Iowa. The red delicious apple also accounts for well over 50% of Washington State’s exports of apples to other countries.
Generally, apples have a tart flavor, though some apples produce higher levels of sugar compared to others, giving them a sweeter taste to accommodate the tartness. Fortunately, the red delicious is one of those apples that produces quite a lot of natural sugar; this in turn makes it not only one of the one of the sweetest we have but also the most suitable for making sweet apple juice.
The red delicious apple is one of the varieties of apples that are very rich in nutrients such as antioxidants and fiber. It is a known fact that the part of the apple with the most nutritional value is its skin.
And the red delicious apple is no exception.
To get the best in terms of nutrition from your apples, it is therefore of utmost importance that you use the skin of the apple for juicing process. This produces a juice with a slightly darker color and different taste compared to the ones you may know.
But using it has good and bad sides. The good has already been mentioned above; as for the bad, most apples are treated with pesticides that stick to the skin. Therefore, by including the skin of the apple in your juice, you may also be adding a small amount of lead and arsenic to your juice, which can be harmful to your health.
You can avoid this problem by only using organic apples for your juice; the peace of mind and quality of the apples makes it worth it. You should also note that ripe apples tend to produce sweeter and better juice, so it is important to learn how to detect perfectly ripe apples.
One last thing about the red delicious apple is that they are relatively cheap if not the cheapest of all the varieties of apple and this one of the reasons why they are very popular in the United States.
Gala apples
Second on my list is the gala apple, whose origin is related to New Zealand. These apples were actually discovered sometime around the 1930s, but they didn’t come into the limelight until the mid-1960s. It was at that time that they became quite popular in the United States. They are ranked second behind the amazing red delicious apple.
Homegrown gala apples are usually sweeter and they rank among the juiciest apples. They are also way better than supermarket apples, which are a bit floury most of the time and are not so sweet as they ought to be. Homegrown gala apples are amazing when it comes to using them for juicing or for snacks. Generally, they are less expensive, making them easily affordable. They are naturally sweet and don’t need any form of extra sweetener.
If you’ve got the land and the patience, take the opportunity to grow a gala apple tree on your property. It will go a long way, and just think about the homemade gala apple juice, that balanced taste of sweet and tart with a hint of vanilla.
Gala apples are usually smaller in size compared most other apples.
Honeycrisp apple
Third on the list is the Honeycrisp apple which was developed in Minnesota in the early 1960s but didn’t attain commercial popularity until the 1990s.
Honeycrisp is a hybrid apple.
This apple is quite popular for its flavor and texture. The taste of a ripe Honeycrisp apple usually ranges from a balanced sweet taste to tart with a coarse texture. It is an apple that you fall in love in with at first taste, which makes it quite unfortunate that these apples are very rare and expensive. It costs a lot to maintain them and their trees, and their trees take quite a long time to produce fruit.
There are so many ways you can enjoy this variety of apple. You can eat them, bake them or use them to make breathtaking delicious fresh juice with a completely natural sweetness.
Granny Smith apples
Fourth on my list is the granny smith apple, named after Maria Ann Smith, a British-Australian orchardist. Granny smith apples are very popular and well-known for their low sugar level and numerous health and nutritional benefits. Its origin is Australia in the mid-1800s, but it started gaining ground in Great Britain in 1935, eventually surfacing in the American market in the early 1970s.
It’s a brightly-colored green apple, known for its acidic, tart and sometimes even bitter flavor. So, if you want a high level of sweetness in your juice, then the granny smith apple is most likely not your best bet as it is more focused on the tart and acidic side. Juicing granny smith apple is not difficult however, and it might be worth a try for something different.
These apples are highly recommended mainly when it comes to mixing with other juice, as they allow for wide varieties of flavors. Granny smiths are popularly used in green juice, where other flavors balance out the bitter taste of the apple. The ingredients in green juice make for a snack rich in potassium and antioxidants, so consider making this kind of juice rather than just straight apple juice. Just like gala apples, granny smith apples are relatively inexpensive.
Fuji apples
Last but not the least is the Fuji apple which, as you might’ve guessed, comes from Japan. It is a hybrid apple created by crossing the red delicious and Ralls Janet apple variety. These days, more Fuji apples are grown in Washington State than in Japan.
Fuji apples tend to last longer than other apples and this, therefore, makes them easier and convenient to buy and store in bulk.
These apples are not only large in size but are also very juicy and sweet. They are often compared to the Honeycrisp apple due to their similar degree of natural sweetness.
Benefits of having the right juicing apples
The juicing apple benefits are various and sundry since fresh apples are known for their high nutritional content. Among other things, they have vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber and potassium, not to mention zero cholesterol. A cup of healthy apple juice a day definitely helps keep the doctors away. Below are a few more amazing health benefits:
Apple juice…
- reduces cholesterol and improves depression because of the presence of quercetin in it
- boosts the immune system and bone health with its high level of vitamin C
- comes packed with super antioxidants, like polyphenol and flavonoids, which lead to a healthy heart. It also contains a substantial amount of potassium that is an essential mineral for the heart.
Brands/types of apple juice
Now if you are not making your own homemade fresh apple juice then below are some brands of apple juice you can try out:
- Motts apple juice is 100% natural and is made from freshly pressed apples
- Snapple apple juice has a distinctly crisp flavor which feels like biting into a fresh apple
- Martinelli’s apple juice is a big time producer of delicious apple juice in the US.
Others include Capri Sun, Simply Orange apple juice and Minute Maid apple juice.
That’s it for today. You now have quite a lot of apples to choose from! More than you ever thought possible. Next time you’re heading to the grocery to get some apples, go with confidence: you now know the best apples for juicing to buy.
