Apples harvested too early can taste like the soil

 

 The cyder at first is very luscious, but if ground more early, it is more racy.

-- John Mortimer (c.1656-1736), The Whole Art of Husbandry

The healthiest apples by concentration of phenols and antioxidants in the skin . . .

. . . are, as reported here:

crabapple

ida red

red delicious
honeycrisp
granny smith

cortland

braeburn
gala
empire

golden delicious
mcintosh
fuji
golden nugget