The Best Baking Apple: Yellow Transparent

Most "wild" apple trees are not actually wild, they are the product of cultivation.The only native apple tree to North America is the crab-apple. All other varieties are the product of cultivation and root stock grating, particularly today's eating apples found in grocery stores. So when I say that my yellow transparent apples are "wild", that is not entirely the case. Those apple trees were planted there by someone, at some point, many years ago. I hunt for these apple trees on the Palouse (among other locations), searching old homestead land where many pioneer settlers planted these trees. These trees can produce TREMENDOUS amounts of dropping fruit so most homeowners welcome help "cleaning up the mess."

These apples are not carried in grocery stores for many reasons.Primarily, they are not very good to eat raw. They are are very tart and mushy. They also discolor and/or bruise VERY easily. For this reason, the shelf life of yellow transparent apples is very short. However, it is these traits that make them the BEST ever baking apple. One bite into a yellow transparent and you instantly recognize that this apple was made for applesauce. There is simply NO comparison. Once you try transparent applesauce you recognize what you've been missing: 

Summer Apples and MeMa's Applesauce Recipe

Transparent Apple Pie

Yellow Transparent Apple Crumble