Rome

A Rome apple has a mild flavor, not sweet with only a slight tartness. Romes are bred especially to have a lower sugar content for cooking compared to heirloom apples.

Pippin Varieties

The crisp flesh of pippin apples holds up well to baking. Its low sugar content means the apple has a tart flavor, perfect for pies or sauces. Look for green Pippins highlighted with yellow around September.

Ida Red

Young Ida red apples have less sugar than those kept in storage. Opt for freshly picked Ida reds for the highest level of tartness. These large, red apples boast a piquant flavor well suited for baking applications.

Bramley

This is an heirloom variety popular in the United Kingdom, where they are a preferred cooking apple. They have a higher acid to sugar ratio than dessert apples, which creates a tart rather than a sweet tasting apple. Apples with a lower sugar to acid ratio will a more tangy taste than apples with higher percentages of sugar.

Northern Spy

"Spies for pies" is a phrase used by some bakers to remember which type of apple to use for pie. The Northern Spy is harvested in October and available through January in stores. Look for apples with an irregular shape and red and yellow or green striped skin. The Northern Spy has 13.77 percent sugar.