Anna: I've grown Ginger Gold in zone 7. It's a fair apple but has no storage life. My impression is that Lodi is the same. Is that what you want? There are much better apples for your climate and with much longer storage. Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady are sweet, tart, and sweet/tart respectively and last for months in storage.

The Fruitnut

Thank you Fruitnut. I happen to particularly like the taste of Ginger Gold and Yellow Transparent, (similar to Lodi). In my childhood, long ago in Indiana, transparents were my mother's favorite apple. They were made into unstrained applesauce and eaten at every meal during the brief season that they were available fresh. I was considering planting a cooking apple.
I do like Fuji, which is available at the grocery stores here, and I am interested to know that it is suitable for zone 8. I have not tried Pink Lady, but I've noticed that Walmart now carries them.
Anna

Anna,
I grew up with a YT tree on the z7/8 interface in south AL, and have Lodi in my orchard here. If you like Yellow Transparent, go for it, rather than Lodi - Lodi is inferior in almost every aspect, other than size. If you can find Perrine Giant YT, I'd go for it - it's a budsport of YT with larger fruit size, but not the loss of quality.
Another really good early season apple - if that's what you're looking for, is MonArk - out of the UofArk breeding program, has decent disease resistance. Ripens early-mid July here, big red-over-yellow round apple with firm, crisp, tart, white flesh. Keeps well under refrigeration for 6-8 weeks(unusual for an early-season apple) and is good both for eating out-of-hand and cooking. Got mine, from Classical Fruits in Moulton, AL - but I don't know if they're still in business; Vintage Virginia Apples & Big Horse Creek Nursery probably have it.

Got any ideas for a nw Florida eating apple

There's a nursery in north FL, I think it's called Just Fruits & Exotics. Give them a try.

The Fruitnut

Lucky, Thank you for the information. Catalogs describe Lodi as an improved Transparent, so I thought it was the one to try. I will hunt for a Perrine Giant, I had never heard of it, or of MonArk. I will look up the nurseries you mentioned.
Does anyone know of a pollinator for Yellow Transparent in zone 8?
Thanks, Anna

I suggest taking people's personal taste opinions with a block of salt.
If Lodi actually was inferior to Transparent it would not have survived since 1942. It would be the "New Coke" of apples.

Even micro-climates and other environmental issues make many growing opinions invalid unless someone happens to be your neighbor.

About all you can do is get the tree you want and give it a couple of years.

Some on this forum all too happily bash Arkansas Black ruthlessly, yet it is one of the favorites of many here and has managed to put up a good showing in some taste tests.
McIntosh is so hated that I've seen webpages dedicated to bashing it. It is my favorite all around apple, and it's claimed to not do well in my zone but does just fine.