I take a variety of apples, some for sweet, some for tart, some that hold their shape, some that don't. Pile them in your pie plate/pan until it "looks" right. Then, I chop the apples and put them back in the pan, reserving an apple or so, if I need to add or subtract. Each pie pan will take a different amount. For a 9" Emile Henri deep dish pan or pyrex deep dish 9", I usually find that about 2.5 lbs is about enough. For a 10", probably about 3 lbs. If you do the "pile and look" method, you can just tell by the "look" if it is what you like.

Whatever kind of apples you use, using two or three different varities usually produces a more dynamic and interesting taste.

10" is pretty big pie pan, so I'd use 8 or so apples. (about 8 cups) Mix them up - I like empire, grannies, goldens, macs, etc. so you get a nice assortment of textures/tastes.

I've heard you can slice your apples ahead, mix them w sugar/flour mixture and let them sit for a while (a few hours?) before placing in pie shell, which is supposed to help reduce the empty-pie-shell syndrome.

There is just one supermarket in my area that has a convenient, easy to read chart right above the apples that tells what's good for what. Isn't that an easy great idea?

6 to 8 large apples, I like apples that hold their shape like Cortland, Baldwin, or Northern spy and it's fun to mix tart and sweet. I usually cut my apples and pile them in the pan (before I line it with pastry) to get the right amount. Then I put them in a bowl with the sugar, etc., line the pan with the dough, and pour them back in the pie. They will cook down a little, so I like to pile them in the center 2 to 3 inches above the rim.

For my 9-inch pie, which is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches deep, I use 6 medium apples. For yours, I'd probably do 7 and mound it up and if it didn't seem quite full enough, I'd add 1/2 or 1 more.

My very favorite pie apples are Gravenstein, but they're ripe early in the season and hard to get this time of year. Right now, I'd use a mix of Jonagold and Granny Smith, or Jonagold and Braeburn. You're looking to get a nice balance between sweet and tart, so take a look at the apples available. Fuji or Golden Delicious are nice when you balance them with a very tart apple, like Granny Smith.

4-5 granny smiths