The Apple Variety Ree Drummond Always Chooses For Apple Pie

Kitchen

Baking

The Apple Variety Ree Drummond Always Chooses For Apple Pie

Every baker has an ingredient that takes their pie from ordinary to extraordinary. For Ree Drummond, it's the Granny Smith apple. The variety's bright green skin hints at the tartness within, and when its slices meet cinnamon, butter, and a golden crust, the result is a duet of sweet and sharp. To the Pioneer Woman , Granny Smiths are the heartbeat of a dependable pie — spirited, sturdy, and full of character.

The Granny Smith apple carries a story as distinctive as its bite. Discovered in 1868 by Maria Ann "Granny" Smith ( the real woman behind the apple variety's moniker ) on her property near Sydney, Australia, the cultivar sprouted from a chance seedling in her compost heap. Its firm flesh and tangy spar