What Kinds Of Apples Are Best For Juicing?

When comparing apples to apples, no two are exactly alike. Sweetness, tartness, texture, size, and color all affect the flavor profile. If you want to juice with apples, it’s good to know how they stack up against each other. We’ve created this guide to help you profile apple varieties to determine which will taste best when you pass it through your juicer.

Over 2,500 apple varieties are grown in the United States alone, and over 7,500 are grown worldwide. That’s a lot of variation, but to keep things simple, we’ve narrowed the playing field to our top 10 choices.

A Word About Juicing Apples

You might have heard the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But if you consume too many apple seeds, you may face a full-on emergency room visit. Apple seeds contain amygdalin, and when you chew them, the amygdalin breaks down into hydrogen cyanide, a common poison.

When juicing apples, it’s always best to core them to remove the seeds. That way, you can avoid concocting a nice cup of cyanide juice. While you would have to consume a large number of apple seeds to hit toxic or lethal levels, it’s better to avoid the seeds altogether.

Our Ranking

Our top 10 apple varieties below are scored based on five factors: sweetness, flavor, tartness, texture, and affordability. The sweetness, overall flavor, and tartness can affect the palatability of your juice, and the texture can determine if your juice is cloudy or clear. Affordability is up to you and your pocketbook, but for some people, it could be the determining factor between two close contenders.

The higher our number ranking, the more favorable the apple. For instance, an apple ranking 1 in tartness is probably intolerably sour, whereas a 5 would have a nice balance of tartness. A texture score of 1 would mean a mealy apple, whereas a 5 would be a balance of crisp and palatable. Now let’s find out which apples are best for juicing.

The 10 Best Apples for Juicing:

1. Winesap Apples

This is an heirloom variety less commonly found on supermarket shelves. The Winesap’s gorgeous, balanced flavor and crisp texture make it one of the best apple varieties. It’s a good choice for a spiced pie or cider recipe and will make delicious juice.

• Sweetness: 5
• Flavor: 5
• Tartness: 5
• Texture: 5
• Affordability: 4
• Score: 4.8

2. Braeburn Apple

Braeburns are considered a benchmark among commercial apple varieties. They’re well-regarded for their fresh flavor, balance, affordability, and ease of production. They taste best when cooled below room temperature and are great for various uses.

• Sweetness: 5
• Flavor: 4
• Tartness: 4
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 4.6
  

3. Honeycrisp Apples

An outstanding balance of flavor and texture gives these red-gold apples an edge in third place. Their delicate combination of sweetness and tartness makes them perfect for juicing, and they’re common in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. They’re also an excellent variety for making warm spiced cider.

• Sweetness: 5
• Flavor: 5
• Tartness: 5
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 4
• Score: 4.6
  

4. Pink Lady Apples

This is a tart variety with an attractive pink blush. The apples rank nicely on flavor and texture. Their high acid and sugar content make for a crisp, refreshing flavor. They’re also great for baking, but their juice tends to be more tart than other varieties.

• Sweetness: 4
• Flavor: 4
• Tartness: 5
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 4.4

5. Fuji Apple

The flavor notes in Fuji apples are enticing, which makes them another top juicing contender. With hints of honey and citrus, they provide a robust juice flavor that’s difficult to match. If you want the best flavor from a Fuji, it’s best to let it age for around 3 months.

• Sweetness: 4
• Flavor: 4
• Tartness: 3
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 4

6. Arkansas Black Apple

Though uncommon, these nicely textured and floral-flavored apples pack a nice dose of sweetness and balanced tartness. Their signature wine-red peels make them beautiful, but they’re great for baking, too. Add raw vanilla (not extract) to the juice for an extra wallop of flavor.

• Sweetness: 4
• Flavor: 4
• Tartness: 4
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 4
• Score: 4

7. Gala Apples

Galas are widely used due to their mild flavor, balanced tartness and sweetness, and affordability. Their status as a mainstay on grocery store shelves is largely due to their availability. Because they grow successfully year-round in warm and temperate climates, they’re easy to produce consistently.

• Sweetness: 4
• Flavor: 3
• Tartness: 3
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 3.8

8. Granny Smith Apples

Granny Smith apples are known for their bright green skin and sharp, tart flavor. The famous Granny Smith apple is typically used for baking or snacking, but it also packs a tart flavor punch as a juice. Pro tip: if you want more sweetness from Granny Smiths, try aging them in the pantry for a few months.

• Sweetness: 4
• Flavor: 4
• Tartness: 2
• Texture: 4
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 3.8

9. Golden Delicious Apples

Golden Delicious is another common variety in the United States. These sweet-tooth-friendly apples are a beautiful yellow shade with a sweet, soft inside. They’re just as refreshing as Red Delicious but rate a little higher on the flavor profile. They’re an all-around decent choice for juicing.

• Sweetness: 3
• Flavor: 3
• Tartness: 4
• Texture: 3
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 3.6

10. Red Delicious Apples

We would be remiss not to mention one of the most popular varieties in the United States. Red Delicious apples are not only ubiquitous and affordable, but they’re also satisfyingly refreshing.

The word “refreshing” is a buzzword when it comes to juice. Unfortunately, what you gain in sweetness, you pay for in texture. This is one of the mealier-textured apple varieties. It also lacks dynamic flavor.

• Sweetness: 3
• Flavor: 2
• Tartness: 4
• Texture: 2
• Affordability: 5
• Score: 3.2

And the Winner Is…

While many of the varieties above will make great juice, a cup of Winesap apple juice takes the cake for pure flavor, balance, and nuance. Check around local orchards or farmer’s markets if you can’t find them at your local grocery store. Trust us, it’s worth the effort to hunt them down.

Now that you know more about apple varieties, it’s time to make the tough choice. Of course, you can always just have fun with it. Try a few varieties and see what suits your palate. You may be surprised by what you discover.

• Which fruits are best for juicing? Take a look at our top 10
• Here’s an inspiring article on cool uses for the leftover pulp