It's apple-picking season in Canada which got me thinking about the fact that I always see different varietals of the fruit in the grocery store but have no idea how or why they're different, other than the distinct visual cues.
I usually pick up Granny Smith apples because I like the tart, sour flavour it has but I've heard others say that Honeycrisp is the ultimate apple while still others will say that Gala is the best.
So, during a recent trip to Walmart near Stockyards in Toronto, I decided to pick up a few different kinds of the fruit, sit down with them all and conduct an apple taste test (it's tough work, but someone's gotta do it!).
For this test I picked up McIntosh, Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, Red Delicious and Honeycrisp, most of which cost me around $1 per fruit. When it came time to cut into everything to taste them, my Fuji apple was rotten, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to include it.
I'll be rating each apple out of 5 in terms of my likelihood of buying them again, and the winners and losers of the taste test are quite stark.
McIntosh
Sarah holding a McIntosh apple from Walmart.
It actually has a pretty nice sweet and tart flavour profile, but I simply can't get past the texture — you know that feeling when you shake someone's hand and not only is their grip nonexistent, but their hand is also clammy? It somehow tastes like that.
According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, the McIntosh is often called the national apple of Canada and was discovered in 1811 on an Ontario farm.
I do feel bad about being mean towards such a patriotic fruit, but, well... it's just a bad apple!
Price: $0.78 ($4.34 per kilogram)
Rating: 1/5
Red Delicious
Sarah holding a Red Delicious apple from Walmart.
All of that being said, this apple tastes quite waxy and un-apple like. The Red Delicious seems like it was bred to withstand wildly long shipping distances without spoiling, and it does seem quite hardy.
If I had a child and I was trying to get some fibre into their diet, this is the apple I'd send them to school with as it could definitely withstand getting rattled around in a lunchbox, and would likely still be good the next day if they forgot to eat it.
Price: $1.02 ($4.34 per kilogram)
Rating: 2/5
Gala
Sarah holding a Gala apple from Walmart.
I like an apple with firmer flesh, but the flavour of this is pleasing enough that I'm not mad at it as an option, and would pick it up if it was cheaper than the other apples I prefer. It's balanced, refreshing and just an easy fruit to eat to get those nutrients in.
Price: $1.04 ($4.34 per kilogram)
Rating: 3/5
Granny Smith
Sarah holding a Granny Smith apple from Walmart.
I really like Granny Smith apples, but I can see why some people aren't a fan.
The skin and flesh both have the medium firmness that I like and the taste is very sour and tart, which I find to be quite refreshing, particularly when I'm in the middle of my 3 p.m. slump and just want to feel something to remind myself I'm alive.
If you don't like sour, you should definitely steer clear of this one, but if you like a fruit that'll make you pucker, this one's the apple for you.
Price: $1.04 ($5.45 per kilogram)
Rating: 3.5/5
Honeycrisp
Sarah holding a Honeycrisp apple from Walmart.
That being said, it does have a nice flavour once you get past the sugar rush, and the flesh is really hard in almost a granular, sugar-crystal way, which gives it an interesting texture.
This apple tastes fancy, and if the price weren't a factor, I could see myself wanting half of one of these as a dessert after dinner.
Price: $1.47 ($6.55 per kilogram)
Rating: 4/5
Pink Lady
Sarah holding a Pink Lady apple from Walmart.
Not only does it have a pleasing name, but it has a nice sweetness that fades quickly, has good snappiness in the skin and medium bite in the flesh.
I think most who try this apple would enjoy it, unlike some of the others which are quite polarizing as it has favourable characteristics that don't lean too strongly in either direction of being overly sweet, tart, soft or hard.
This is an apple for the people, and would likely be endorsed by Bernie Sanders.
And it's getting my endorsement too!
Price: $1.25 ($5.45 per kilogram)
Rating: 4.5/5
And that brings us to the end of our apple journey!
While Gala and Granny Smith are two apples I'd buy again, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are the two I liked the most and are the ones I'd prefer if they were the cheapest options.
You can't convince me to buy Red Delicious, and I don't think I'll ever want to eat a McIntosh ever again.
But that's just me!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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