USA TODAY spoke with apple breeders, growers and researchers to find the secrets of one of America's most popular fruits.

These are a few of the most common and best apples for baking ... sweet taste and crisp texture, Honeycrisp apples are good ...

Fresh apples all year has been something ... The 1964 edition of "Joy of Cooking" still lists the best apples for eating uncooked, which it calls “dessert apples” and for baking, which include ...

But apple fundamentals have stayed the same. Apples remain a healthy, nutritious snack, low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C. Eat them peel-on to get the most of their fiber and antioxidants.

Apple varieties number into the thousands with different types preferred for eating, making juice and ... About two-thirds of apples produced are sold as fresh fruit, and most of the other third ...

Start planning an apple picking trip now; all the orchards listed are open but the best apples are found before ... to-purchase apples in bins — and fresh farm apple goods including cider ...