Farmers' market produce: Eight delicious apple recipes

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As a general rule of thumb, softer apples are best for applesauce, while firmer apples are best for baking and cooking. It doesn't really matter if the apple is sweet or tart because you can adjust the sweetness or acidity of your dish by either adding or balancing the taste with more sugar or acid, such lemon juice.

Here are our top picks:

Best for applesauce: Apples that are tender and soften when they cook such as McIntosh or Gala. Use it in our slow cooked rustic applesauce. 

Best for making salads: Firm, crisp, sweet and tart apples such as Empire, McIntosh, Honey Crisp and Granny Smith. Try them in our baked goat cheese and apple salad, prosciutto salad rolls, lemon curry apple slaw or apple and smoked sausage pasta.

Best for pies: Apples that retain some texture and shape when baked such as Northern Spy, Cortland, Gala, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. Try these apples in our traditional apple pie or rustic caramel apple pie. You can use these apples for cooking too, like in our crispy pork chops with sauteed apples.