We live in northern Illinois. Granny Smith is our go to grocery-store apple for pies. But when we make it to the farmer's market in Madison, Wisconsin or to some of the orchards up that way, we have thoroughly enjoyed the following heirloom apples used individually or in combination in pies:
Blue Permain –from New England, one of Thoreau’s favorite apples, dense, sweet. Mild, mix with an acidic apple.
Northwest(ern) Greening – an heirloom from Wisconsin, sharp, flavorful, what Granny Smith should taste like.
Calville Blanc d'Hiver - the ultimate French baking apple for apple tarts. Very sharp (acidic) and flavorful. Goes to mush when cooked, combine with a firmer fleshed apple.
Bramley's Seedling. The premiere English cooking apple. Sharp and strong flavored, also goes to mush when cooked.
We've planted the latter two selections, plus other reputed good cooking apples (Rhode Island Greening, King Edward VII, and Northern Spy). I can report back in a few years when we start harvesting our own apples!

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