Take a Healthy Bite of Apple Season

Apples grow in every state in the continental U.S. and now’s the time to celebrate this nutrition packed fruit.

Apples grow in every state in the continental U.S. and now’s the time to celebrate this nutrition packed fruit. Apples provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that help to protect you from chronic diseases and could even help with weight management.

New and old varieties can be found at your nearest grocery store. So whatever your taste profile – sweet or tart – there’s an apple out there waiting for you. This Apple Variety Guide is brought to you courtesy of The U.S. Apple Association:

Braeburn: a sweet/tart flavor, this yellow with red stripe/blush apple is firm and great for snacking. Season October to July.

Crispin: a sweet flavor, this green-yellow apple is firm and great for snacking and pies. Season October to September.

Empire: a sweet/tart flavor, this solid red is crisp and great for snacking and salads. Season September to July.

Fuji: a sweet/spicy flavor, this red blush, yellow stripes/green apple is crisp and great for snacking, salads and freezing. Available Year-round.

Gala: a sweet flavor, red-orange, yellow stripe apple is crisp and great for snacking, salads, sauce and freezing. Season August to March.

Ginger-Gold: a sweet/tart flavor, this green-yellow, sometimes with blush apple is crisp and best for snacking and salads. Season August to November.

Golden-Delicious: a sweet, yellow-green apple, it’s crisp and great as a snack, in salads, sauce and pies. Available Year-round.

Granny Smith: tart and green, this apple occasionally has a pink blush. This crispy apple is great for anything – baking, snacking, sauces, pies and salads. Available Year-round.

Honeycrisp: a sweet/tart flavor, this apple is mottled red over a yellow background. Crisp, it’s best for snacking, salads, pies, sauce and freezing. Season September to February.

Idared: sweet, tart and tangy, this light red apple is firm and best for snacking, baking, sauces, pies and freezing. Available October through August.

Jonagold: a sweet/tart flavor, this red with yellow/orange apple is crisp and great for snacking, salads, and sauce. Season October to May.

Jonathan: spicy and tangy, this apple has light red stripes over yellow or deep red. It’s less firm and good for pies and baking. Season September to April.

McIntosh: a tangy, red and green apple, it’s tender and best for snacking, sauce and pies. Available September to July.

Red Delicious: a sweet apple it can be striped to solid red and is crisp. Good for snacking and salads, it’s available Year-round.

Rome: a sweet and a deep solid red apple, it’s firm and great for sauce, baking and pies. Available October to September.