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"Fresh-eating apples" is a term used to describe apples that you can eat whole, and raw. You wash 'em, or rub them against your sleeve, and sink your teeth into them as is. Consequently, another term for this category of apple is eat "out of hand."

Some people say "eating apples." This can be confusing, though, because most apples are intended to be consumed in some form.

Others use the term "dessert apples." In North America, food writers seem increasingly to be using the term "dessert apples" to mean apples that you can use as a dessert if you cook them into a prepared dessert. In the UK, it's the opposite: dessert apples particularly means sweet apples that you can eat fresh as a dessert in themselves as opposed to tart apples that need preparation -- but then a lot of people's ideas of an apple you can eat fresh includes some pretty tangy ones that would have other people puckering up.

But whether "dessert apples" means apples for pies, or apples for fresh-eating, the problem with the term remains its lack of basic utility: aside from the applesauce you serve with your pork chop, the apples you brew into cider, or the apples you dry for doll-heads, what apples don't you use as a dessert?

Consequently, Practically Edible has decided that "fresh-eating apples" is the least-unclear term of the lot.

Other generic groups of apples are cooking apples, sauce apples, pie apples, and cider apples.

Language Notes
A French term for this category of apples, "Pommes à couteau", means apples that you eat with a knife.

Also called:

Other entries for:

Fresh-Eating Apples
Abas Apples, Aceymac Apples, Akane Apples, Akero Apples, Alkmene Apples, Allen's Everlasting Apples, Allington Pippin Apples, Ambrosia Apples, American Beauty Apples, American Summer Pearmain Apples, Ananas Reinette Apples, Anna Apples, Aport Apples, Apricot Apples, Ard Cairn Russet Apple, Arkansas Sweet Apples, Aroma Apples, Aromatic Russet Apples, Astillisch Apples, Aunt Rachel Apples, Autumn Arctic Apples, Autumn Gold Apples, Autumn Pearmain Apples, Avenarius Apples, Bailey Apples, Baker's Delicious Apples, Ballyvaughan Seedling Apple, Bancroft Apples, Beautiful Arcade Apples, Beauty of Bath Apples, Belmac Apple, Benoni Apples, Black Gilliflower Apples, Black Limbertwig Apples, Boskoop Apples, Braeburn Apple, Bramley Apples, Brownlees' Russet Apples, Brushy Mountain Limbertwig Apples, Brushy Mt. Limbertwig Apples, Buckingham Apples, Buncombe Apples, Burgundy Apples, Calville Blanc d'Hiver, Cameo Apple, Canada Red Apples, Carter's Blue Apples, Celestia Apple, Champlain Apple, Chehalis Apples, Chenango Strawberry Apples, Cherry Cox Apples, Chieftain Apples, Cinnamon Spice Apples, Claygate Pearmain, Coe's Golden Drop Apples, Cole's Quince Apples, Connell Red Apples, Cornish Aromatic Apples, Cornish Gilliflower Apples, Cortland Apples, Court-Pendu Plat Apples, Cox's Orange Pippin Apple, Criterion Apple, Crow's Eggs Apples, D'Arcy Spice Apples, Davey Apples, Democrat Apples, Detroit Red Apples, Devonshire Quarrenden Apples, Discovery Apples, Dixie Red Delight Apples, Doctor Matthews Apples, Dorsett Golden Apples, Dula Beauty Apples, Early Harvest Apples, Early Joe Apples, Early Red Bird, Early Strawberry Apples, Egremont Russet Apple, Ellison's Orange Apples, Elstar Apple, Empire Apples, Enterprise Apple, Esopus Spitzenberg Apples, Etter's Gold Apples, Fall Russet Apples, Fearns Pippin Apples, Fiesta Apples, Fireside Apples, Florina Apples, Forge Apples, Fortune Apples, Franklin Apples, Freyberg Apples, Gala Apples, Gavin Apples, George Cave Apples, Ginger Gold Apples, Gloster Apples, Gold Rush Apples, Golden Delicious Apples, Golden Nugget Apples, Golden Pearmain Apples, Golden Pippin Apples, Golden Reinette Apples, Golden Russett Apples, Goldrush Apple, Goodland Apples, Granny Smith Apples, Greensleeves Apples, Haas Apples, Haas Apple, Hall Apples, Haralred Apples, Harcourt Apples, Hauer Pippin Apples, Hawaii Apples, Hawkeye Delicious, Hawley Apples, Henry Clay Apples, Herrings Pippin Apples, Holiday Apples, Honey Crisp Apple, Hoover Apples, Hubbardston's Nonesuch Apples, Hudson's Golden Gem Apples, Humboldt Apples, Hunt Russet Apples, Ingrid Marie Apples, Irish Peach Apple, Isle of Wight Pippin Apples, James Grieve Apples, Jefferis Apples, Jersey Mac Apple, John Standish Apples, Jonafree Apples, Jonagold Apple, Jonagored Apples, Jonathan Apple, Jonwin Apples, Joyce Apples, Junaluska Apples, Jupiter Apples, Kalco Apples, Katy Apples, Keepsake Apples, Kent Apples, Kentucky Limbertwig Apples, Kerry Pippin Apple, Kidd's Orange Red Apples, Kill Apple, King's Acre Pippin Apples, King of The Pippins Apples, Kinnaird's Choice Apples, Knobbed Russet Apples, Lady Sudeley Apples, Lady Sweet Apples, Lady Williams Apples, Lamb Abbey Pearmain Apples, Late Strawberry Apples, Laxton's Epicure Apples, Laxton's Fortune Apples, Laxton's Superb Apples, Laxton Superb Apples, Limelight Apples, Lindamac Apples, Livland Raspberry Apples, Lord's Seedling Apples, Lord Lambourne Apples, Lowry Apples, Lyman's Large Summer Apples, Macoun, Magnum Bonum Apples, Maiden's Blush Apples, Mandan Apples, Mannington's Pearmain Apples, Mantet Apples, Margil Apples, McIntosh Apples, Melba Apples, Melon Apples, Melrose Apples, Meridian Apples, Meridian Apple, Milo Gibson Apples, Moira Apple, Mollie's Delicious Apples, Monarch Apples, Mother Apples, Moyers Spice Apples, Mrs Bryan Apples, Muscadet de Dieppe Apples, Mutsu Apple, Newtown Pippin Apple, Niagara Apples, Nickajack Apples, Niedzweckyana Apples, Nittany Apples, Norkent Apples, Norson Applecrabs, Northern Spy Apples, Nova Easy Gro Apples, Nova Spy Apple, Novamac Apple, Ohio Nonpareil Apples, Oliver Apples, Orenco Apples, Orin Apples, Oriole Apples, Orleans Apples, Ortley Apples, Ozark Gold Apples, Pacific Rose Apple, Paula Red Apple, Pearl Apples, Pettingill Apples, Pilot Apples, Pink Lady Apple, Pink Parfait Apples, Pink Pearl Apples, Pink Pearmain Apples, Pink Princess Apples, Pitmaston Pineapple Apples, Pixie Apples, Pomme Gris Apples, Porter Apples, Prairie Spy Apples, Primate Apples, Quinte Apples, Rajka Apples, Ralls Janet Apples, Rambo Apples, Razor Russet Apples, Red Baron Apples, Red Delicious Apples, Red Esther Apples, Red Falstaff Apple, Red Hook Apples, Red Windsor Apples, Redsleeves Apples, Redwell Apples, Regent Apples, Reinette Simirenko Apples, Ribston Pippin, Ross Nonpareil Apples, Roundway Magnum Bonum Apples, Royal Gala Apples, Rubinette Apples, Saint Edmund's Pippin, Sam Young Apples, Sandow Apples, Sansa Apples, Santana Apples, Saturn Apples, Scrumptious Apples, Senshu Apples, Sharon Apples, Sherry Apples, Shizuka Apples, Sierra Beauty Apple, Smith's Cider Apples, Smoky Mt. Limbertwig Apples, Southern Rose Apple, Spencer Apples, Spigold Apples, Splendour Apples, Starr Apples, State Fair Apples, Strawberry Pippin Apples, Sturmer Pippins Apples, Summer Champion Apples, Summer Golden Pippin Apples, Summer Pearmain Apples, Summer Rambo Apples, Summer Rose Apples, Sundowner Apples, Sunset Apple, Suntan Apples, Sutton's Beauty Apples, Swaar Apples, Swayzie Apples, Sweet Bough Apples, Sweet Sixteen Apples, Sweet Winesap Apples, Swiss Limbertwig Apples, Terry Winter Apples, Thornberry Apples, Topaz Apples, Tumanga Apples, Tun Apples, Tydeman's Late Orange Apples, Tydeman's Red Apples, Victoria Limbertwig Apples, Virginia Beauty Apples, Virginia Limbertwig Apples, Virginia Winesap Apples, Vistabella Apples, Wagener Apple, Wealthy Apple, Westfield Seek-No-Further Apple, White Winter Pearmain Apples, Widows Friend Apple, William's Pride Apples, William Crump Apples, Winesap Apples, Winston Apples, Winter Banana Apples, Wismer's Dessert Apples, Wodarz Apples, Worcester Pearmain Apples, Wyken Pippin Apples, Yates Apples, Zabergau Reinette Apples, Zestar Apples, Zuccalmaglio's Reinette Apples

Other entries for:

Apples
Acme Apples, Adanac Apples, Airlie Red Flesh Apples, Alaska Apples, Amberoso Apples, Applecrabs, Boiken Apples, British Apples, Cider Apples, Cooking Apples, Crab Apples, Desse de Buff Apples, Erwin Baur Apples, Fameuse Apples, Juice Apples, Ozark Pippin Apples, Pie Apples, Russet Apples, Salad Apples, Sauce Apples, Ziegler's Sweeting Apples

Other entries for:

Hard Fruit
Apricots, Avocado, Chayote, Citrus Fruit, Guava Fruit, Kiwis, Mangos, Maypop Fruit, Medlars, Melons, Nectarines, Papaya, Passion Fruit, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Plums, Pomegranates, Quinces, Red Sorrel, Rose Hips, Sapote, Star Fruit, True Service Fruit

Other entries for:

Fruit
Bananas, Bletting, Candied Fruit, Dried Fruit, Drupes, Olives, Rhubarb, Soft Fruit