Amish Autumn Apple Salad

Here in the Midwestern United States we are still in apple season, full of honeycrisps, galas, and more.  The only kind I really am not a big fan of are Granny Smiths.  Too sour.

This recipe for apple salad comes to me from an Amish woman in Missouri.  Good apple country there and this is an easy salad to make.  Reader Barbara who is, coincidentally, also in Missouri tried out this recipe for us.  Here is what she had to say:

 this was really, really easy to make!  We really enjoyed the different flavors of this, was very tasty and a different way to use fresh apple.  Mr said was maybe a little sweet ? So I will be making again but will try using a half cup of sugar.

Getting ready to make the salad!

A delicious Amish autumn apple salad

Here are some common types of apples as described by the University of Illinois extension department:

Golden Delicious

Golden Delicious has firm, white flesh and sweet crisp flavor. It is the preferred "all purpose" cooking apple since it retains its shape and rich, mellow flavor when baked or cooked. Its skin is so tender and thin that it doesn't require peeling for most recipes. Golden Delicious is very good in fresh salads and freezes well.

 Fuji

Fuji's spicy, crisp sweetness and firm flesh make it an excellent fresh eating apple. It's also good in baking or applesauce and stores well. Fuji flavor improves in storage like fine wine. Fuji skin color varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red. It was bred from a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties in Japan.

 Gala

Gala  a favorite for fresh eating. It is heart-shaped with distinctive yellow-orange skin with red striping. Gala is just the right size for snacking and is great in salads, good for baking and very good in applesauce.

 Braeburn

Braeburn has high impact flavor. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness just right for snacks and salads. It's also good in baking, applesauce and for freezing. Braeburn color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red. Braeburn was discovered as a chance seedling near Nelson, New Zealand in 1952. Its probable parents are Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith.

 Granny Smith

Granny Smith has crisp mouth-watering tartness. Bright green Granny Smith has a pink blush. Its tartness really comes through when baked and sautéed.

 Jonagold

Jonagold is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy-sweet flavor with firm flesh. Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.

 Winesap

Winesap is the apple with old-fashioned flavor. Winesap has a spicy almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker's first choice. Violet red in color, it's great as a snack and in salads.

 Arkansas Black

Arkansas Black is well named with a deep red, almost black skin. It is rock hard, sweet and tart and a long storage apple.