How can you be guaranteed you're getting a CRISP apple?

Even this time of year when the apples have just been picked, it all comes down to which variety you buy.

As an example, I have 2 types in my fridge right now. The Winesap apples are very crisp but also tart - almost as tart as a Granny Smith. And they hold their shape when cooking or baking with them. The others are Cortland apples which are inherently softer and fall apart in cooking but have a wonderful sweet flavor.

It's a matter of learning which varieties you prefer and what you're going to use them for. For an all around apple, I prefer Golden Delicious or Gala and will be buying some this week!

This time of year most apples are crisp. As they age even when kept in cold storage the sugar converts to starch and they are mushier. Try choosing baking varieties the later it gets in the year like granny smith or gala and check out pink lady a wonderful eating variety that has a "snap" to it. Which isn't always easy to find but worth looking for.

Hold them up to your ear.. and give them a little flick on the underside, if its a dull thud then they're mushy and horrible apples, but if it's a nice hollow sound then they're most likely to be crisp :) i always find green apples are pretty much always crisp, and those dark red ones quite mushy. If you have a few apples in the house go and hold them up to your ear and flick them, i know it sounds strange but you can hear the difference from each apple.

Try a farmers market, and buy only when apples are in season [there are ways to preserve apples] and freshly picked [the farmer can tell you when they were picked]. Also, certain varieties you can find at farmers markets may be more appealing to you. I'd suggest asking the farmer for a recommendation.