The fruit guide
Fruits, nuts and roots.
Nineteen plates: ten apples and the other fruits, nuts and roots of the regional pies. Each is drawn as a specimen, rated for tartness against a named source and described as it behaves in the oven.
Granny Smith
apple · tartness 4 of 5
Crisp and juicy, with a balance of tart and sweet, in the New York Apple Association’s description.
Northern Spy
apple · tartness 3 of 5
Sweet-tart and complex, in Stark Bro’s description.
Gravenstein
apple · tartness 3 of 5
Crisp, juicy and sweet yet tart, in the Slow Food Foundation’s description.
Rhode Island Greening
apple · tartness 4 of 5
Rich and sprightly subacid, in Beach’s 1905 description.
Baldwin
apple · tartness 3 of 5
Firm, juicy and agreeably subacid, in Beach’s 1905 description.
McIntosh
apple · tartness 3 of 5
Juicy, tangy and aromatic, in the New York Apple Association’s description.
Cortland
apple · tartness 2 of 5
Sweet with a hint of tartness, juicy and snow-white, in the New York Apple Association’s description.
Jonathan
apple · tartness 4 of 5
Tart and juicy, in the University of Missouri Extension’s description.
Golden Delicious
apple · tartness 1 of 5
Mild and honey sweet, in the New York Apple Association’s description.
Honeycrisp
apple · tartness 2 of 5
Explosively crisp and juicy, well-balanced sweet-tart, in the University of Minnesota’s description.
Montmorency
stone fruit · tartness 5 of 5
Tart, bright red with yellowish flesh and clear juice, in Good Fruit Grower’s description.
Marionberry
berry · tartness 3 of 5
Distinctively sweet with a mildly tart and lasting flavor, in the Willamette Heritage Center’s description.
Wild blueberry
berry · tartness 2 of 5
Fruity and sweet in aroma, in the 2022 Foods study’s description.
Rhubarb
stalk · tartness 5 of 5
Tart, with a sour crunch, in North Dakota State University Extension’s description.
Peach
stone fruit · tartness 2 of 5
A blend of acidic tanginess and sweetness, in Clemson Extension’s description.
Key lime
citrus · tartness 5 of 5
Highly acid with a distinctive aroma, in UF/IFAS’s description.
Pecan
nut · tartness 1 of 5
Delicate in texture and flavor, in W. A. Taylor’s 1904 USDA description of the Centennial pecan.
Pumpkin
squash · tartness 1 of 5
Rich and fleshy, in University of Illinois Extension’s description of baking pumpkins.
Sweet potato
root · tartness 1 of 5
Sweet and moist after cooking, in the USDA-ARS and NC State review’s description.