I tend to toss in whatever is on hand and not getting quickly enough. Last week's applesauce had about 2/3 honey crisp, 1/3 gala, a leftover peach and maybe a golden delicious or 2. It all tastes better than what you buy in the store.

My honey crisp were really mealy. Are they usually like that? I bought them at the Farmer's Market so I would have thought they were fresh.

Apples when mealy are usually overripe and have been left on the tree too long. Also it can be caused by less watering. Overwatering tends to bring out water spots in the flesh, near the seeds. Most any kind of apple product can benefit by a mix of apple types, and even Granny Smiths are used. I find a Macoun to have the best texture after baking or cooking as the slices dont get as mushy. Here, I have Williams Pride and Red Free that have apples. Both are ripe in mid August, about 2 weeks apart. I also have some very narrow apple trees that have very short upright branches. The two apple types are quite resistant to insect damages, and diseases except cedar rust and sooty mold when nearly ripe. The latter just leaves black bloches but doesn't affect taste. Next year, I plan to spray an organic fungicide during the growing season.

Thank y'all for your response. I like the Honey Crisp to eat although I have never used them any other way so I'm glad for your comments. I wonder if the mealy ones were last years crop, because the season is just now beginning here. Sometimes the farmers market produce is not always fresh around here.
When I've been in New England I find there are apples available that I have only read about and Williams Pride and Red Free are new names to me. Varieties are sometimes different depending on where you live. I always seem to miss the apple festivals by a week or two when I have visited there. One of these days maybe I'll hit it right.

Thanks,
Jude

The two types mentioned look similar, but the Red Free is deeper red. I chose these specifically for cooking and baking, as I like them to hold their shape some in a big pie. I just got to the rotting apples today, and had to toss about a bushel. The ONLY way to store apples for longer than a few months is to use a special gas treatment to dissipate the natural gases they produce. Storage must also be cool and moist.

Here is a link that might be useful: Apple trees

One of the benefits of the Honey Crisp variety is that they will last for months if kept cold. Last year we bought a bushel of Honey Crisp and put the apples in our secondary fridge. We were still eating crispy delicious apples in January.

All that to say that Honey Crisp are just for eating in my neck of the woods- I've never had one that was mealy and mushy, and wouldn't dream of using them for applesauce. (I'm sure you could, and it would be fine, but just wouldn't be my preference.)