Adding fruit, how and when (apples)

I'm reading tons about this and still trying to find the best practice. Creating a recipe for an Apple Blonde Ale and torn over what to do with the apples. My original intention was to puree 4 pounds of apples and pitch with the wort right into the primary with the apples. It's important to know that I have a Vitamix blender which pulverizes the hell out of anything. If you know what a Vitamix is, then you get it. Should make a nice apple slurry.

But I'm reading so much about, puree or don't puree...pasteurize for secondary, don't pasteurize...freeze and thaw, use fresh...pitching fruit in primary vs secondary, and the list goes on.

Can a fruit expert lend some expertise as to how to extract the best flavors from apples without getting any accidental off flavors? Also, what variety of apples would you suggest? And, is 4 pounds for a 10 gal batch enough? I don't want to overpower the beer with apple. Thanks!

I am no expert but I can tell you what I know from friends and my local brew store. I personally believe that you do not need to pasteurize the apples IF you throw then into the secondary. The alcohol should protect the beer from any bad guys at this point. Putting them in boil will give you a nice flavor. Adding them to secondary would give you more aroma. I've been playing around with the idea of a sour apple sassion so this has been on my mind. I would add blended apples to boil then also add to secondary un pasteurized. The ones added to secondary i would freeze in chunks then thaw before putting on secondary. The freeze process breaks down the cell walls in the apple and make it easier for the beer to absorb the flavors. Hope this helps. Very interested to know how it turns out