My subjective notes on a few varieties of Northwest apples follow.

Braeburn
Like Fuji, this is a sweet apple that is best eaten out of hand, but it is an all-purpose fruit and makes a decent pie. Its greatest attribute may be its tender fragrant skin which smells like just-pressed cider, and vanishes like rice paper in the mouth. It came from a chance seedling in New Zealand and thrives in the volcanic soil of the Northwest.

Cameo

A new apple, Cameo is a spontaneous variety, not an intentional hybrid. It sprang up in Eastern Washington, was allowed to grow, and proved itself a winner. It is a great dessert apple, perfect really, alone or with cheese. The Washington Apple Commission rates it as excellent for pies, applesauce, and snacking-a rare honor. Apple growers love it because it keeps almost as well as Red Delicious. I predict that consumers will like Cameo because it looks like an older variety. It is unevenly colored: pale gold with random red stripes and appealing freckles. If it had a little more perfume, it might completely steal my heart. As it is, I already count it among my favorite apples.

Criterion

The subtle complexity of this apple with its perfumey balance of sweet and tart flavors makes some first-time samplers swoon. A chance seedling from Washington, its progenitors probably include Red Delicious and Winter Banana. A word of warning: Long before its shiny skin begins to wrinkle, Criterion goes mealy inside, so be sure the apples you buy are very fresh, and keep them refrigerated. Criterion is often my first choice for picnics, salads, and other situations where I want uncooked apples, but it is an all-purpose apple. It bakes pretty well, and makes a good applesauce.

Elstar
A cross between Golden Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin, or perhaps one of its descendants, this Dutch variety has recently surpassed Golden Delicious as Europe's most widely grown apple and it's a popular choice for Washington orchardists expanding their varieties. This gold and red streaked apple tends to russet--that is, its skin shows some rough brown spots around the stem--so it doesn't match the glossy standard of perfection set by the more familiar standards. But what may have been the kiss of death to an apple at the height of the Red Delicious reign, may be a mark of character in this era of increasing diversity and longing for heirloom varieties. Certainly the sweet-tart flavor and cream-colored flesh make it a hit. It keeps its flavor and texture when baked and makes good sauce.

Fuji
The most sought-after apple in China and in Japan, this big, red apple with golden highlights is bold and flavorful. But in spite of its Japanese name, it did not originate in Asia. Fuji is a cross between Red Delicious and an obscure old American variety known as Ralls Janet which was grown by George Washington at Mount Vernon, and by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. It keeps better than any other sweet apple and stays crisp for weeks even at room temperature. It can spend a few weeks in a fruit bowl without turning mushy or mealy. You can get good results by cooking or baking with it, but this apple is best enjoyed raw.

Gala
A really delicious apple for snacking, this early-ripening New Zealand import, now grown widely in the Northwest, is crisp and fragrant and juicy. But that famous crispness can become a little rubbery after any time in the oven, where this apple rapidly gives up its juice. And the ethereal fragrance that characterizes this apple when it's fresh all but vanishes when it's cooked. Don't try to bake with it; save it instead for salads where its bright flavor is accentuated in the presence of vinaigrette, cheese, and nuts. Better still, since it's small and sweet, tuck it into a coat pocket or a kid's backpack for a snack.

Golden Delicious
A soft and perfumey blonde, this American has been very well received in European orchards and markets. In Normandy, where I had gone in search of old French apple varieties, an apple farmer once confided to me that the Golden Delicious was his personal favorite. His bias is understandable. Golden Delicious may be common but, at its best, it is uncommonly versatile and flavorful. It makes sauce almost as good as the hard-to-find summer apples which are available only from small farms in the fall. This apple bakes well too, though it does become soft very quickly. It's popular with kids for snacking. Again, avoid apples that have been shelved too long. Look for the new crop of Golden Delicious from late September to the end of October. Out-of-season Golden Delicious is fine when it first comes out of storage, but if kept for more than a few days outside the refrigerator, it rapidly becomes bland and mealy.

Granny Smith
This firm green variety imported from Australia where it sprang up as a chance seedling on the farm of a certain Ms. Smith, it has become almost as ubiquitous as Red Delicious. It's a good baking apple, and while it lacks some of the intensity of flavor found in more obscure varieties like Newton Pippin, it has a refreshing tartness. That tartness makes it especially useful in savory dishes where its characteristic firm texture allows it to stand up to rough treatment like grilling and pan-searing. Granny Smith is often a first choice for baking, but it is slow to soften.

Gravenstein
Another summer apple with a distinctive perfume, and a flavor even more intense than Yellow Transparent, Gravenstein ripens in August and is typically gone with the first winds of October. For many native Northwesterners, it is the first choice for applesauce and apple pie. Unfortunately, it doesn't keep well and therefore fails to meet the prime criterion for commercial growers. California orchardists do grow Gravenstein commercially, and many backyard orchardists and truck farmers produce enough of these apples to stock framers' markets and roadside stands in the Northwest. They are worth seeking out. But eat them at once or make them into applesauce and can it.

Jonagold
The number-one choice for growers west of the Cascades in maritime Washington, this is a great apple. Intensely flavored and colorful, it's my first choice for an all-purpose apple. Different strains of the same apple range from dark red all over to almost pure yellow with just a blush of red on one side. Occasionally touched by a condition known as sugaring, in which portions of the apple near the core take on a translucent pineapple color, this apple has almost more flavor than it can hold. My only complaint about Jonagold is the brevity of its season. One can never find this apple before the first of October, and by Thanksgiving it's likely to have vanished. Any Jonagolds left on supermarket shelves by January have probably lost the characteristics that make them desirable in the fall.

Jonathan
Of the three most commonly grown apples in Washington, this one has the most character. It doesn't hold its shape well inside a pie, but it makes good applesauce, and for flavor and texture it ranks several points higher in my book than either of the Delicious varieties. Jonathans are harvested late in the season.

McIntosh
Usually thought of as a New England apple, the McIntosh is a Canadian apple that is the number one apple on the East Coast. It is also widely grown in British Columbia. Once in Florida, when my wife and I saw B.C. Macs in a supermarket, they seemed to radiate vitality, and they did not disappoint. The thick skin makes it less than ideal for snacking, but it's smooth spicy flesh makes it worth the effort of peeling it. The apple also makes good sauce and pies.

Melrose
A cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious, with a rustic, heirloom look that's not apparent in either of its parents, this all-purpose apple is the favorite of many amateur growers. The dull red skin is tart and perfumey and the flesh is very sweet. It is late-ripening, and gains flavor and character for several months after it's picked. Some aficionados say you shouldn't even eat a Melrose until Christmastime. It's an excellent keeper; refrigerated, it stays firm and flavorful until Easter.

Newton Pippin
This apple is as American as the proverbial apple pie, which, by the way, is never better than when it's made with this apple. It is the ultimate pie apple, fragrant, firm and slightly tart. It grew at Mount Vernon and at Monticello and if it hadn't been for the invasion of Granny Smith, it would probably be the most important green apple on the market. As it is, it is a favorite for everyone who's in the know.

Red Delicious
I know, I know, it's grown primarily to look good; it's the iceberg lettuce of apples. It will <I>not<I> stand up to cooking, and its somewhat insipid character makes it dubious even as a snacking apple. But like iceberg lettuce, a fresh Red Delicious apple is crisp, free from any off-putting flavors, and generally inoffensive. What's more, even in this era of increasing diversity in apple varieties, Red Delicious still accounts for 80 percent of all the apples grown in Washington. The harvest season for Red Delicious apples is late fall and thanks to Controlled Atmosphere Storage ( a system that replaces ordinary air with chilled nitrogen gas) the apples are available year round. If they have not been left standing on supermarket shelves for too long, they can carry the illusion of freshness many months after they have been harvested. The sturdy skin that helps this apple survive long periods of storage is tough as shoe leather, so peel it off. Slice the peeled apple and toss it with a little lemon and sugar, and it's perfect for salads. Look for the new crop in the fall and if possible, sample a slice of apple before buying any to avoid those that may have been out of controlled atmosphere storage for too long. At home keep them in the refrigerator; even though they look nice in a bowl on the kitchen table or countertop, they rapidly lose their texture and flavor at room temperature.

Spartan
A cross between McIntosh and Newton Pippin, this British Columbian hybrid looks like a McIntosh. It is full-flavored, good for snacking or cooking, though it's flavor does fade a bit in the oven. Amateur growers appreciate its disease-resistant character.

@variety desc:<@variety name>Winesap<@$P>My mother's favorite apple, and by sentimental association, one of mine. This late-ripening apple keeps extraordinarily well and it's dark red, maraschino-scented skin sometimes bleeds red veins deep into its tart, butter-yellow flesh. Winesap is an all-purpose apple and works well in pies and sauce, but I save it for salads and eating fresh with a paring knife at the table.

Yellow Transparent
The first apple of summer, Yellow Transparent typically ripens in July and disappears by the middle of August. Its rosy scent and creamy white flesh make it a favorite for summer apple crisps and applesauce. This apple deteriorates so quickly that it should really be eaten or transformed into applesauce the same day it's picked.