Comparing apples to apples

​This time of year you can’t help but end up with too many apples. And your first instinct is going to be to bake or cook with them before they go soft or mealy. But not all apples taste better after a go in the oven. A recent National Public Radio story set to find out which are your best bets.

The first lesson, which might be the most important, is that a mealy or rotten apple (unlike some other fruit) can’t be saved by cooking it. In fact, sometimes heat will only intensify bitter flavors.

NPR sampled five varieties and not surprisingly, the Jonathan fared well in tests for maintaining its appearance and having an enhanced flavor. The winner was the honeycrisp, which has a sweet, tangy flavor, even when raw. It’s the kind of baked apple that makes you forget about chocolate cake.