Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by
Do you want to make an apple cake and have only gala apples at home? Are you wondering if you can use gala apples for your cake? Want to find out, then stay with us? Gala is very well-liked, and for a good cause! This great all-purpose apple has a wide range of applications. But are gala apples good for baking
Yes, you can use gala apples for baking. Gala apples are distinguished by their iconic, gorgeous yellow/orange skin, red striping, crisp texture, and sweet taste. These fruits, bred in New Zealand in the 1930s, are now popular around the globe. The succulent flesh is delicious both raw and in prepared dishes.
Origin Of Gala Apples
The first Gala apple tree was one of several seedlings that orchardist J.H. Kidd planted in New Zealand in the 1930s from a hybrid between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd’s Orange Red apple variety. On October 15, 1974, Donald W. McKenzie, a worker at Stark Bros Nursery, was granted a US plant patent for the cultivar. It was initially planted in commercial quantities in the UK in the 1980s, making it a relatively recent introduction. The variety currently accounts for roughly 20% of the total amount of apples cultivated for commercial purposes in the UK, often taking the place of Cox’s Orange Pippin.
The apple cultivar Gala is clonally reproduced and has a mild, sweet flavor and a striped or mottled look. Gala apples often have vertical stripes or a mottled appearance, with an overall orange color.
They are sweet, have a fine texture, and have a pleasant scent. In addition to being eaten raw and cooked, they are particularly well suited for making sauces and great for baking.
Gala apples are produced in the northern hemisphere from May through September, but because of cold storage and controlled environment storage, they are, like other apples, nearly always accessible. From late January, the Australian Gala is available. Fruit from California is available in October. They may persist all year round even though the season typically only lasts 9 or 10 months.
The Gala apple is, however, always available in certain Australian stores since some apples are still cultivated in select orchards and may be stored in the refrigerator for a few months. These often taste different from those in season (slightly less sweet). The season in the UK starts in late July (August). Similar to fruit from other origins, fruit from the UK may be stored and made accessible almost all year long.
Gala Apples Substitutes For Baking – 6 Best Options
Crispin/Mutsu Apples
Crispin, commonly known as Mutsu, is a versatile contemporary apple type that is crisp, juicy, and sweet-tart. These Japanese-bred apples feature a spotty orange-red blush on top of a yellow-green skin. Crispin apples are a dependable and adaptable cultivar renowned for their crisp texture and well-balanced sweetness.
Crispin/Mutsu Apples have a lovely, well-balanced sweetness and acidity. After a month or two of storage, the taste is delicate and mild. They have a little amount of that deliciously tart, green-apple flavor. Although these apples taste great right from the tree, they are also popular for use in baking.
Despite not being often employed in modern apple breeding, Crispin/Mutsu Apples have two well-known siblings. All three varieties of apple—Mustu/Crispin, Orin, and Shizuka—were created in Japan as crosses between Golden Delicious and the Indo apple.
Honeycrisp Apples
The Honeycrisp Apple is a versatile contemporary apple cultivar that is sweet-tart, crisp, and all-purpose. These big apples, which the University of Minnesota developed, have golden skin that becomes blushingly red as they mature. The Honeycrisp Apple is renowned for its strong apple taste, a distinct combination of sweetness and acidity, and remarkably crispy texture. It’s difficult to discuss the best-tasting apples without mentioning Honeycrisp at first.
Honeycrisp apples, one of the best apple varieties overall, have a balanced flavor with high amounts of flowery sweets and fruity acidity. The taste is delicious and does contain a hint of honey. Fruits matured on trees may be almost effervescent in their sweetness and crispness. They are excellent for use in baked recipes as well as for eating fresh due to their solid texture (or roasted, juiced, pressed, or dried).
Due to its extreme consumer appeal, the Honeycrisp apple is currently used as a parent variety in several breeding operations. SweeTango, Cosmic Crisp, Rosalee, SugarBee, Scarlet Crush, Ruby Darling, Sweet Cheeks, and EverCrisp are recent arrivals mated with Honeycrisp.
Granny Smith Apples
The heritage apple cultivar Granny Smith is tart, solid, and suitable for all uses. They were found in Australia over a century ago, and their brilliant green peel makes them simple to identify. The Granny Smith apple is regarded as the most well-liked green apple variety, a typical apple variety for apple pie filling, and a preferred fresh-eating variety among sour apple fans.
Apples from the Granny Smith variety are acidic and sour. They have a hard, crisp texture and a zesty citrus scent. Granny Smith is one of the best all-purpose tart apples because it may be consumed both fresh and cooked or baked.
Due to consumer preferences leaning more toward sweet than sour apples, the Granny Smith Apple is not a frequently used parent variety in contemporary apple breeding. However, Granny Smith is regarded as a grandmother of the Pink Lady/Cripps Pink club apple and a parent apple of the Lady Williams Apple (also an Australian apple).
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) Apples
Pink Lady is a crisp, all-purpose, sweet-tart contemporary club apple. These Australian-bred apples are related to American Golden Delicious varieties. Apples called Pink Lady are renowned for their characteristic rosy-pink blush peel coloration and overall good looks.
Pink Lady/Cripps Pink Apples are among the best-tasting apple kinds, sweet and wonderfully juicy with a well-balanced acidic, sharp taste. Their effervescent, crisp white flesh has a bubbly texture without being too sour. This apple is cool and delicious to eat raw and good for baking. It slices well and doesn’t brown quickly.
Due to its remarkable taste and beauty, Cripps Pink has been bred into current apple varieties. The Pink Lady apple’s progeny includes the Sweet Cheeks, Scarlet Crush, and Wild Twist kinds. The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), which created the Cripps Pink cultivar in the 1970s, has a license for it. The brand-named cultivar is known as Pink Lady, and Apple and Pear Australia Limited are in charge of protecting that name (APAL).
Golden Delicious Apples
Golden Delicious is an all-purpose heritage apple cultivar that is delicious and juicy. These apples, found in West Virginia, have striking golden yellow skin. The popular sweet apple variety known as the Golden Delicious may be purchased year-round in most stores.
When ripe, Golden Delicious apples are very sweet with little acidity. Overall, their flavor is modest, and it becomes sweeter and less acidic as they are stored. Golden Delicious apples have the finest flavor when plucked at their height of maturity and consumed within a few months.
Although they are sold outside of the apple season, Golden Delicious apples lack the same characteristic taste. Golden-yellow ripe apples are better for eating fresh, whereas green-yellow newly plucked apples are excellent for baking. In addition, apples plucked while green and underripe often lack the mellow floral taste of apples that have matured on trees.
Braeburn Apples
Braeburn is a versatile contemporary apple that is crisp, juicy, and sweet-tart. This apple, which was found in New Zealand, has a yellow background that develops into scarlet stripes or even a deep red blush as it ages.
Apples from Braeburn are sour, spicy, and delicious. Their robust taste, which combines elements of fruit and spices from the Autumn, makes it ideal for recipes. These apples taste just as delicious baked into pies and tarts as fresh from the orchard. Modern apple breeding projects often employ the Braeburn apple because of its rich and enticing taste and texture.
How Well Do Gala Apples Bake?
The Gala compliments every dish with a sharp taste and subtle sweetness; due to its inherent sweetness, you may even use less sugar. It keeps its form during baking and avoids becoming mealy, thanks to the crispness.
How Should I Use A Bag Of Gala Apples?
Here are a few apple recipes for autumn that we believe are ideal for Galas:
Apple Pie Smoothie.
A Fresh Take on Apple Pie.
Open-Face Apple Tahini Sandwich.
Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad.
Chard with Bacon and Apple.
Sweet Potato Apple Cake.
Apple and Cheddar Whole Wheat Quesadillas.
Cabbage Slaw with Gala Apples and Walnuts.
Conclusion On Are Gala Apples Good For Baking
Gala apples have a luscious, delicate body with a sweet, pears-like taste and a thin, blush-colored skin. One of the key factors contributing to their rising popularity is their sweet but crisp flavor. Other apples, such as Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), Golden Delicious, and Crispin/Mutsu, are also excellent for baking. These apples are crisp and flavorful; when baked, they keep their shape and don’t mashup. For baking, you may always use these alternatives or gala apples.
