This One Rule Separates Good Baking Apples From The Losers

You're at the farmers' market (or the apple orchard, or the good old grocery store) but none of the six apples we've deemed best for baking are. The crew didn't come through! But don't panic: Your future apple dessert needn't suffer.

This easy tip from Claire Saffitz, the brain behind Apple Pandowdy, Apple-Walnut Upside Down Cake, and Caramel Apple Clafoutis, is all you need to remember: A baking apple should be so firm that when you press on it with your thumb, you don't leave an indent.

Softer apples—those that would yield to the pressure of your thumb—are higher in water content and more likely to lose their shape or get soft and mushy when you cook them. That might be desirable for applesauce but it's not what you're looking for in a recipe where you want the pieces of fruit to remain distinct. Plus, the more watery the apple, the more likely it is to sink into batter. Your cake will taste just as good but your seasonal fall baking Instagram post might take a blow.

So next time you can't locate Mutsu, Braeburn, or Winesap (or you have no service in a basement grocery store and are frantically trying to google "best baking apples"), stay calm: The only tool you need to scout other good candidates is your thumb.

Apple season awaits:

Apple Pandowdy

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit