My favorite all time apples for baking and sauce are Lodi and Yellow Transparent. Rarely seen at markets. There is a short window with these apples. They are early, sometimes appearing the 2nd half of July. They are green skinned and have a white inside. I buy a bushel then taste test. I like them early as they are very tart and hard, but after a few days they mellow into perfect apples for baking. The window is short because they will turn mealy and soft if you don't use them in the few days when the are perfect. I get them from a farmer here in the Chicago area. My grandmother used them in Canada when she was young and they don't transport well, so you don't typically see them in the stores. Give them a try-they are out of this world for taste-tart sweet.

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