Picking the right apples for pie baking

When I was about 10, my mother bought a huge sack of apples that sat on the kitchen floor next to the stove. After school, they made a perfect snack. Or while watching Saturday morning cartoons. Or just about any time Mom’s growing brood complained that we were hungry. “Get an apple,” she would say.

Eventually, they all got eaten. Or baked. I think most of them went into my mouth, as apples were my favorite fruit back then. I especially liked the sour types, and my favorite was the locally grown Macintosh. They were my “Goldilocks apple” because they had just the right blend of crisp and tart—not too much of either.

Sweet apples didn’t even make my list. For some reason, they always upset my stomach. So, while my friends were noshing on Golden Delicious, I went straight for the Macs. But we had several other varieties in Upstate New York, like Jonathan, Winesap, Rome Beauty, and others.

Autumn always meant “apple-picking time,” much the way those of us in California go out to the berry farms. And while cherry pies were created each summer from our sour Morello tree, it was apple pies in autumn.

If you’re into making pies (and who isn’t?), certain apples will hold up best when baked. I used to judge the apple pie competition at the Santa Cruz County Fair, and I can confirm that a well-formed slice of apple is preferable to the mushy filling from apples that fall apart in the oven.

Best apples for baking

Many apple varieties hold their shape, but here are some of the most popular.

First on the list (and in no particular order) is the Jonagold. It was developed at Cornell University when a tart Jonathan was crossed with a sweet Golden Delicious. It’s a slightly sweet apple with a thin skin, and it holds up well when baked. They don’t store well, so use them early in the season.

Braeburn also holds up well. This variety was discovered in a New Zealand orchard and is believed to be a cross between Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith. It has a streaky red skin and a creamy color inside, plus a sweet-tart flavor with a hint of cinnamon.

Winesaps likely originated in colonial times in the U.S. They hold up well and have a sweet but tangy flavor with hints of wine. These are often used to make apple cider, but they hold their own even when baked with other fruits.

Around Santa Cruz County, we’re familiar with Newtown Pippins, which is probably the most common apple for pies here. These late-season green apples were prized by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. But store them for two months after harvest for best texture and flavor.

Granny Smiths are a large green tart apple with a crispy bite. They hold up well when baked, but you might want to peel them because the skin is rather thick. If the slices are too long for your taste, you can cut them in half crosswise when baking.

Early local farmers

Local historian Traci Bliss has recently published “Evergreen Cemetery of Santa Cruz,” a book about local pioneers laid to rest at Evergreen. ( The History Press, 175 pp, $21.99 soft cover.) One of the chapters discusses the many farmers who became established in the Santa Cruz area.

Did you know that downtown used to be farm country? Nationally famous potatoes were grown on the western side of the San Lorenzo River until a worm infestation ruined the crops. Undaunted, growers turned the fields into apple orchards.

Former slave London Nelson turned a plot be

hind today’s main post office into a market farm, where he successfully grew melons. Upon his death, he left his estate to the public school system because education had been forbidden for slaves.

Thomas and Mary Caroline Pilkington operated a 75-acre dairy farm on the east side of the river, now the Seabright area. Another dairy farm in Scotts Valley, was operated by Joseph and Grace Errington on the former Hiram Scott property.

Part of the Blackburn property by Neary Lagoon was leased out to Chinese growers, who turned it into a successful vegetable enterprise. The industrious Chinese also farmed acreage between High and King Streets, producing a variety of berries.

While these locations are now the site of homes and businesses, the agricultural tradition of Santa Cruz has remained intact.

Tip of the week

Buy yourself a kitchen scale. Whenever possible, measure ingredients by weight instead of volume. This is especially important with flour because a cup of it can vary greatly.