So you like Granny Smith

This distinctive big green apple is named for the Australian farmer who discovered the variety growing in a trash heap.

Granny's fans are maverick lovers of tart in an ocean of sugary apples. 

In person, the apple bears a good deal of offsetting sweetness alongside its citric tang. Lime, pear, and cane sugar balance together.

Where the other apples you'll find in your supermarket are similar (even identical) to one another, Granny Smith stands out.

There is nothing else like her on the shelves.

Which makes it harder to write a post like this—of friendly suggestions for other apples to try, that might please a Granny lover.

Indeed, you will have to hunt for these in season, at farm stands, orchards, and green markets.

Newtown Pippin

The Newtown is known in the South as the Albemarle Pippin, and (at least in the Northeast) it is reasonably tart with a bit of lime.

In 2008, when I was just getting started on this blog, I wrote that Newtown "is the only variety I have sampled that has anything like Granny's fundamental tang and crunch." There have been others since. (Newtown Pippin)

Rhode Island Greening

This antique apple is almost an American Granny Smith.

Though not as distinctive in appearance, it is similarly tart and great for cooking. (Rhode Island Greening)

The Greening is Rhode Island's official fruit.

Reinette Simirenko

This apple has been to outer space and may be the same variety as Wood's Greening. It is sure to be of interest to Granny aficionados, though it is not as tart.

The Simirenko has some fine flavors and a great crunch; I think it is the better apple. (Reinette Simirenko)

Northwest Greening

If your interest in Granny is culinary, consider Northwest Greening. It shines in pies, tarts, and pancakes.

There's nothing wrong with it for eating, either, but it is so dense that it is a bit dry, and the flavors, though good, are subdued. (Northwest Greening)

Greening Sour

"Greening Sour" appears to be the latest nickname of a variety that may be unique to a single orchard in New York. It is Granny-esque, and ripens in August.

If you hanker for some fresh Granny two months before the real thing arrives in late fall, you might be pleased to have a few of these to tide you over. (Greening Sour)

Red (or not green) and tart

Green may be associated with tart, but there are plenty of red-toned varieties with a pleasant kick to them. Topaz, and Mcintosh when fresh, both come to mind.

The apple known as Autumn Crisp seems to be extra tart, or not, depending on the age of the tree. Get yours from a young tree for the full effect, which I do not really recommend. 

Still, acid heads might want to give it a try.

Reine de Reinettes can be quite tart, though less so at its 3-star peak. (It is not very consistent in that respect.)

Many of the russets, such as Ashmead's Kernel, are nice and lemony. And many of the red-fleshed apples, such as Pink Pearl, have an intriguing grapefruit note.

A taste of things that came

To find these tart apples, we must for the most part look to the past. Granny in the supermarket is a coelacanth, a living fossil. 

But tastes change. Meanwhile, if yours tend towards the citric side of the pomme fruit, you can still satisfy them if you shop around.

Greenies:

• Granny Smith
• Newtown Pippin
• Rhode Island Greening
• Reinette Simirenko
• Northwest Greening
• Greening Sour

Beyond green:

• Topaz and Mcintosh
• Autumn Crisp
• Reine de Reinettes
• Ashmead's Kernel and Pink Pearl

Also:

• Pancake
• Consistency
• Coelacanth