The MN55 cultivar — a natural cross of Honeycrisp and MonArk from the University of Minnesota breeding programme. Applewood Fresh is the exclusive shipper of this variety in Michigan.

Outrageously juicy with a refreshing snappy zing.

Best for: back-to-school snacking; adding crunch to a fresh autumn dish.

University of Minnesota breeders crossed Honeycrisp with Zestar! to create the Minneiska tree, which produces SweeTango®. The first crop reached grocery stores worldwide in 2009.

Zesty, crisp and sweet with a lively touch of honey, citrus and spice.

Best for: eating fresh — on-the-go snacking, dipping, salads, charcuterie.

Discovered in Belgium as a natural cross between sweet Gala and tangy Braeburn. After ten years of testing and refining the first commercial crop was harvested; the Kanzi® brand was born in 2006.

Intense flavour, perfectly balanced, with a slightly sharp bite rather than sweet.

Best for: snacking — the intense tang stands in for sugary candy.

Michigan-grown KIKU® are exclusively available through Applewood Fresh. The variety traces back to a Fuji tree in a Japanese orchard, found nearly thirty years ago by Luis Braun of Italy.

Super-sweet, juicy and crisp, with ruby-red colour and striking striping.

Best for: sport and workplace snacking; grilled cheese, salads, slaw.

A cross between Fuji and Honeycrisp, created more than twenty-three years ago by Mitch Lynd, an Ohio grower and a founder of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association — a grassroots, grower-owned breeding cooperative.

Firm, sweet and crisp; a genuine blend of both parents.

Best for: juicing, snacking and cocktails — firm and long-lasting.

Grown exclusively for FirstFruits Farms. Bright yellow with russeting around the stem, non-GMO certified, and naturally non-browning after cutting. A share of sales funds youth-led non-profits across the country.

Distinctly crunchy, sweet yet tangy.

Best for: prepping ahead, snacking and baking. Available conventional and organic.

Grown exclusively in Washington by FirstFruits Farms. A cross between Gala and Braeburn brought to the US market in 2009 — Gala's sweeter, crunchier cousin.

Crisp and blushing with flavour. Intensely sweet with a mild, subtle spice.

Best for: snacking, dipping and salads — best eaten fresh.

Also known as Cripps Pink, named after John Cripps, the Australian plant breeder who crossed Golden Delicious with Lady Williams. The name comes from its brilliant pink exterior.

Firm, with a sharp tart flavour and a floral, rose-like finish.

Best for: snacking, baking and pairing with sharp cheeses.

Grown exclusively in Washington. A cross of Enterprise and Honeycrisp — "Cosmic" was chosen for the starburst-like lenticels scattered across the skin, resembling the night sky.

Amazingly sweet and juicy in every bite.

Best for: everything — from a go-to snack through to cooking and entertaining.

A chance seedling found in British Columbia in the early 1990s, named after the mythical "food of the gods". Parentage is unrecorded, though most point to a cross of Jonagold and Golden Delicious.

Fine, crisp texture with a mellow-sweet, honeyed flavour.

Best for: the dessert apple — baking, sauces and cooking.

Grown only in the eastern United States and developed by Cornell University's apple breeding programme as a Honeycrisp cross. It has sold out every year since its 2015 introduction.

Extra sweet, with hints of vanilla and a monster crunch.

Best for: snacking; sliced into salads; paired with cheeses and meats.

First planted in 2011 as the offspring of Braeburn and Autumn Crisp, developed by Cornell University. Grown only in the eastern US, through Crunch Time Apple Growers.

Firm, crisp and juicy, with good sugar levels and moderate acid for a balanced sweet–tart profile.

Best for: slow to brown and holds its crispness when cut — fresh eating, baking, sauces and savoury cooking.