It's better to buy from refrigerated display cases, because apples ripen more rapidly at room temperature. Though apples can last a long time if stored properly, most varieties are tastiest when freshly picked from September through November. Most apples can be eaten out of hand but not every variety stands up to cooking and cider-making. For baking apples whole look for apples that stay firm and sweet like Rome Beauties. Try more acidic apples like Cortlands or Granny Smith for pies, and apples like McIntosh that don't discolor easily for applesauce.
Crabapples are too sour to eat raw but make excellent jams and jellies.
They will last for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To preserve the flesh color of cut apples, sprinkle with lemon or lime juice. This popular fruit is celebrated at major food festivals during the fall in Washington, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Of the nearly 7,500 varieties grown throughout the world today, the most popular apples in America are Red and Golden Delicious , McIntosh, Rome Beauty, Jonathan , and York Imperial . Red Delicious apples are well-suited for eating out of hand.