For “survival garden” purposes, look for apple varieties that keep well. With the right storage conditions and a long-keeping variety, you can have fresh apples most of the year.
Late season apples are best for storage.
Friends of ours who own an orchard say that Ida Reds are not picked until after the first frost, and then don’t reach their full flavor until they’ve been in cold storage for a couple months.
So in the dead of winter, they are just coming to their peak.