It's crunch time for America's apple growers as they rush their ripening fruit to market.

But what once was as simple for consumers as choosing between red and green has become a maze of choice. Some 2,500 named apple varieties are grown in the United States, with more than 7,500 produced worldwide, according to the U.S. Apple Association.

Only about 100 varieties are grown commercially, with 15 making up 90 percent of the harvest. These mass-market selections are bred primarily for their appearance, high yields, size, bruise-resistance - and longer shelf life.

"Once you pick an apple, it's dying," said David Bedford, a research scientist and head of the apple-breeding program at the University of Minnesota's Agricultural Experiment Station. "From there, it's all downhill. But if you start with a sturdier apple, it's a longer hill, a longer way to the bottom."

The dizzying array might have shocked early Americans. Just a half-dozen wild crab apple varieties awaited British colonists arriving in America in the 17th century. Thousands of hillside orchards soon were planted with the progeny of favored European varieties.

It was a rare pioneer farmyard that didn't include a family orchard made up of a dozen or so obscure yet quaint-sounding varieties like Maiden Blush, Western Beauty, Chenango Strawberry, Roxbury Russet and Westfield Seek No Further.

Consumers are becoming more discerning about apples and many are seeking the uncommon flavors that can be sampled in roadside stands or farmer's markets around rural America.

"I've had more than one person come up to me at one of my apple tastings and say, 'I did not realize that apples had such a wide spectrum of tastes,'" said Tom Burford, an orchard and nursery consultant, author and apple historian. "It's good that we're getting that kind of interest again in apples and flavorful foods."

Despite the thousands of existing varieties, the search for "the perfect apple" continues.

"The two big things we're looking for in our breeding program are texture and flavor," Bedford said. "Eating quality is our priority."

Bedford said experts have rejected a past emphasis on size and color - a focus that produced what he called the "indifferent tasting" Red Delicious. Bedford headed the research team that developed the Honeycrisp, a crunchy cross between the Macoun apple and a Honeygold. It was made available for commercial release in 1991 after three decades of testing.

"Newer varieties like the Granny Smith, the Gala and the Raeburn started the flavor revolution," Bedford said. "Now we're getting back around to where people want apples that taste good."

Pick of the crop

Not every apple makes a good pie, becomes a memorable cider, mixes well in salads or is crisp and juicy when picked fresh from the tree.

Each variety brings something special to the table - texture, color, sweetness, acidity, aroma, shelf life or size, among other things. Few have all or even several of those desirable qualities. But that hasn't stopped consumers from crowning their champions over the years from the thousands of named varieties grown.

"Different people have greatly different preferences in apples," said Richard Marini, department head and professor of horticulture at Penn State University, University Park, Pa. "As you go around the country, regional tastes vary, too."

The five most popular apples in the U.S. are the Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith, according to the University of Illinois Extension Service. Here are some other easy-to-find varieties if you're seeking an apple with special culinary attributes:

* Baking: Some people prefer baking apples that hold their shape, while others like them mushy. Blending hard apples with sweet apples and other combinations is a good compromise. Longtime baking favorites include the Winesap, Golden Russet, McIntosh, Haralson, Rhode Island Greening, Cortland, Wealthy and Prairie Spy.

* Salads: Cortland and Granny Smith are firm apples with a pleasant, tangy taste. Neither browns quickly when sliced. You can add lemon juice to slow the browning, but why not choose an apple variety that's higher in acids? Other salad favorites include the Cameo, Fuji, Cripps Pink and Gala. The Red Delicious also is a popular choice, but more for its color than its flavor.

* Ciders: Cider apples usually are more tart and juicy than the eating kind and that serves to enrich the historic brew. The Golden Delicious adds an attractive aroma to ciders while the Golden Russet is naturally sweet. The McIntosh and Rome are longtime cider favorites while the spicy taste of the Baldwin brings a signature flavor to the drink. The Grimes Golden, Ribston Pippin, and Roxbury Russet are among the cider classics, if you can find them.

* Drying: Firm, tart apples fresh from the tree are said to be best for drying. Try Jonathans, Gravenstein and Rome Beauties.

* Multipurpose: For eating in the hand, cooking or cider making, it's hard to beat the McIntosh, one of the flagship apples from Eastern Canada and New England. The Idared cooks down well, making a nice sauce and apple butter. The Cortland is good for everything from apple crisp to kabobs. Honeycrisp, a relatively new introduction, is notable for its watermelon-like crispness and honey-like flavor and drips with juices. Stored properly, it can keep from seven months to a year.

- Associated Press