A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a dessert apple, which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a firm flesh that does not break down much when cooked. Culinary varieties with a high acid content produce froth when cooked, which is desirable for some recipes.[1] Britain grows a large range of apples specifically for cooking. Worldwide, dual-purpose varieties (for both cooking and eating raw) are more widely grown.
Apples can be cooked down into sauce, apple butter, or fruit preserves. They can be baked in an oven and served with custard, and made into pies or apple crumble. In the UK roast pork is commonly served with cold apple sauce made from boiled and mashed apples.
A baked apple is baked in an oven until it has become soft. The core is usually removed and the resulting cavity stuffed with fruits, brown sugar, raisins, or cinnamon, and sometimes a liquor such as brandy. An apple dumpling adds a pastry crust.
John Claudius Loudon wrote in 1842:
Popular cooking apples in US, in the late 19th century:
tart varieties: Duchess of Oldenburg, Fallawater, Gravenstein, Horse, Keswick Codlin, Red Astrachan, Rhode Island Greening, Tetofsky. sweet varieties: Golden Sweet, Maverack Sweet, Peach Pound Sweet, Tolman Sweet and Willis Sweet.[2] Popular cooking apples in the early 20th century´s England: Alfriston, Beauty of Kent, Bismark, Bramley, Cox Pomona, Dumelow, Ecklinville, Emneth Early, Golden Noble, Grenadier, Lord Grosvenor, Lord Derby, Newton Wonder, Stirling Castle, Warners King. [3]
D = Dual purpose (table + cooking). Cooking result[4] P = Puree K = Keeps Shape