Did you know certain apples are best used for cooking or for making apple cider or even eating them raw? Some apples get mushy when cooked. Apple cider is a blend of tart and sweet apple varieties.

Braeburn Apples are good for eating raw. They are also good to use when frying or when making pies.
Cortland Apples are good for eating raw. They are also good to use when making applesauce because they break down during the cooking process.
Empire Apples are crisp, sweet and tart. They are a good all purpose apple.
Fuji Apples are good for eating raw. They are also good for baking.
Gala Apples are crisp and juicy. They are good for eating raw, frying apples and good for making apple cider.
Golden Delicious Apples are yellow skinned and the more yellow the skin the sweeter the fruit is. They are a good baking apple if you choose one of the greener ones.
Granny Smith Apples are a bright neon green color. They are tart adn juicy. They will keep up to 6 months. The paler the skin color is, the sweeter the fruit is. These apples are good raw, baked, stewed or fried.
Jonagold Apples are good raw, fried, roasted or baked.
Jonathan Apples are best used for applesauce, roasting, frying or raw. They are a very aromatic apple.
McIntosh Apples are best raw, in apple cider or applesauce. They are a in apple pies when combined with Granny Smith Apples.
Red Delicious Apples is said to be the most popular apple. It is noticeable by its shape. These apples turn mealy over time.
Rome Apples have a tart flesh. They are great when used for baking or saute’ed.
Winesap Apples are excellent for baking or eating raw. They are great when used in salads and sauces.

My Apple Dumplings  (serves 4)

DOUGH:

4 Cups flour

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 Cups  PLUS 1 1/2 Tbsp. of shortening

1/2 Cup water

Mix together the flour and salt.  Cut in the shortening until dough is pea sized pieces.  Add the water a little at a time until dough sticks together but isn’t sticky or falling apart.  Divide the four into 4 equal parts.  Roll out each piece into a circle.

FILLING:

1/3 Cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a bowl and set aside.

APPLES:

4 apples, sliced and cored (I leave the skin on the apple but it can be removed if you prefer it that way).  I try to hold the apples together so it is still in the apple shape with a hole in the middle.

Fill the center hole of each apple (where the core would have been) with 1/4 of the filling. Put a Tbsp of butter down into the hole.

Wrap the dough around the apple, pressing the dough at the top to seal it.  Place the apple into a deep baking dish (like a 9×9, not a jelly roll pan).

Repeat for the other 3 apples.

SYRUP:

2 Cups of water

4 tsp lemon juice

2 Cups of sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Boil then pour over the top of the apple dumplings and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.