| Apple
Varieties Available in the Hudson Valley |
Cortland
Imagine
a fragrant fresh fruit cup with beautiful snow white apples. You
can bet it was made with Cortland, the very best salad apple. This
great all purpose apple was developed at the NYS Agricultural Experiment
Station in Geneva in 1898. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweet
with a hint of tartness
- Juicy
- Tender,
snow white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating, salads, sauce, pies and baking
- Good
for freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- Cortland
apples are wonderful for kabobs, fruit plates and garnishes because
they don't turn brown quickly when cut
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Crispin
Bite
into a Crispin for a great crunch and mouthful of sweet juice. It's
one of the most satisfying snacks around! The original name for
this exceptional apple was Mutsu, reflecting its Japanese heritage.
It was renamed Crispin in the late 1960s and has been gaining fans
ever since. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweet
yet very refreshing
- Very
juicy
- Super
crisp
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating, sauce, baking and freezing
- Good
for salads and pies
|
| Special
Hints |
- Try
Crispins for roasting whole apples or thick slices. They're a
wonderful accompaniment for your favorite roast
|
| Availability |
|
|
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Empire
With
the popular Red Delicious and McIntosh for parents, Empire apples
were destined to be a hit. It's a sweet-tart combination that's
great for everything. The New York State Agricultural Experiment
Station in Geneva introduced this new variety in 1966. |
| What's
It Like? |
- A
wonderful blend of sweet and tart
- Juicy
- Very
crisp, creamy white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
- Good
for sauce, baking, pies and freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- Small
Empires are great for school lunches. Kids love Empire's sweet-tart
taste and super crunchy texture
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Fuji
Wow!
What a great snacking apple! Fuji apples have it all -- super sweet,
super juicy and super crisp. this Japanese apple has American parents,
Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an antique apple that goes back to
Thomas Jefferson in 1793. We're glad this popular Japanese apple
is grown in New York now! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Very
sweet
- Very
juicy
- Very
crisp, cream colored flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
- Good
for sauce
|
| Special
Hints |
- Fuji
applesauce needs little or no sugar
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Gala
Another
apple made for kids is the Gala, a new variety developed in New
Zealand. It's got the mild flavor that "picky eaters"
prefer and a striking bright yellow-red color that attracts the
eye! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Mild
sweet flavor
- Juicy
- Crisp,
creamy yellow flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
|
| Special
Hints |
- Gala's
size, mellow flavor and thin skin make them a perfect choice for
kids.
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Ginger
Gold
Can't
wait for your favorite apples in the early fall? The early ripening
Ginger Gold will satisfy your need for a great snacking apple. Check
them out early in the season when this special new variety is readily
available! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweet,
but mildly tart
- Fine
textured, crisp cream colored flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
|
| Special
Hints |
- Ginger
Gold is very slow to turn brown so it's an excellent choice for
any fresh cut apple use.
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Golden
Delicious
Come
people think that Golden Delicious is simply the yellow cousin of
the popular Red Delicious apple. But, in fact, they are related
in name only. This honey sweet apple is a special treat all on its
own. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Mild
sweet flavor
- Juicy
- Crisp,
light yellow flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating, salads and sauce
- Good
for pies, baking and freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- You
can cut down the sugar in pies and sauces made from Golden Delicious
apples.
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Honeycrisp
Sometimes
the name of an apple says it all. Honeycrisp apples are honey sweet
(with a touch of tart) and amazingly crisp, some say "explosively
crisp." It's easy to see why this new variety continues to
grow in popularity since its 1991 introduction in Minnesota. Supplies
are limited for now but more Honeycrisp trees are being planted
every year. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Complex
sweet-tart flavor
- Juicy
- Super
crisp ywllow flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
- Good
for sauce, baking & pies
|
| Special
Hints |
- This
ultra crisp apple will appeal to teens, a great way to encourage
healthy snacking
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Idared
Savor
the old-fashioned goodness of baked apples, especially Idareds,
which hold their shape perfectly and look beautiful on the table.
Developed in Idaho, it's a cross between two old time NY apples,
Jonathan and Wagener, first raised in Penn Yan in 1791. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweetly
tart
- Juicy
- Firm
pale yellow-green flesh, sometimes tinted rosy pink
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for sauce, cooking, baking and pies
- Good
for eating, salads and freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- Idareds
make a beautiful pink applesauce. Cook the apples with the skins
on and strain the sauce to get the best pink color
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Jonagold
the
smell of fresh apple crisp wafting through the house is a sure sign
of fall. Jonagolds make excellent baked goodies. Jonagold is another
success story from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
in Geneva. It's a cross between mellow Golden Delicious and tart
Jonathan. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Honey
sweet with a hint of tartness
- Juicy
- Crisp,
creamy yellow flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating, salads, sauce and baking
- Good
for pies and freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- Jonagolds
make great fried apples. Simply saute in a little butter and add
a little cinnamon. No sugar needed!
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Macoun
Want
a perfect no-fat dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth? Macoun
may just be your apple, but, hurry, these special apples are only
available in the Fall. Macoun was developed at the New York State
Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva in 1932. It's named for
a famous Canadian fruit breeder. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Extra
sweet and aromatic
- Very
juicy
- Tender,
snow white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating
- Good
for sauce and salads
|
| Special
Hints |
- Try
serving Macoun slices with cheese for a sophisticated dessert
in the autumn
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
McIntosh
Nothing
evokes Fall better than the aromatic fragrance of McIntosh apples.
People have enjoyed this apple since 1811 when John McIntosh discovered
the first seedling. McIntosh apples grow particularly well in New
York's cool climate! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweet
with a tart tang
- Very
juicy
- Tender,
white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and sauce
- Good
for salads and pies
|
| Special
Hints |
- McIntosh's
tender flesh cooks down quickly. Add a thickener if making a pie
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Paula
Red
If
you like tart apples, sink your teeth into a Paula Red. It's one
of our earliest varieties and the first taste of fall for many apple
lovers. Check them out now because Paula Reds are only available
from late August into October! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Tart
- Juicy
- Crisp
white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating
- Good
for applesauce
|
| Special
Hints |
- Paula
Red applesauce needs little or no sugar
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Red
Delicious
If
you haven't tried an Apple Country Red Delicious, you haven't tried
Red Delicious. These popular mildly sweet apples are grown across
the country but our Red Delicious have the slight tartness so characteristic
of apples from New York. Give our red Delicious a try! |
| What's
It Like? |
- Sweet
- Juicy
- Crisp,
yellow flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for eating and salads
|
| Special
Hints |
- Red
Delicious apples look great for a long time so they are the favored
choice for holiday centerpieces and wreaths
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Red
Rome
Perfect
fried apple slices sitting next to a pork chop are probably Red
Romes. These superb cooking apples retain their shape beautifully
as well as their tart flavor. This old time variety originated in
Ohio in 1816 but is widely grown in New York State. |
| What's
It Like? |
- Mildly
tart
- Firm,
greenish white flesh
|
| Best
Uses |
- Excellent
for sauce, baking and pies
- Good
for salad and freezing
|
| Special
Hints |
- Combine
Red Romes with a sweet apple such as Golden Delicious for tasty
applesauce.
|
| Availability |
|
|
 |
Other
Apple Varieties
NY apple
farms produce the greatest variety of apples in the US. Many are available
seasonally in the supermarket. Some, (those marked with an Asterisk*)
are best found at roadside markets and apple orchards.
| Variety |
Flavor |
Best Use |
Availability |
| Baldwin*
|
Tart |
Eat, Sauce,
Bake, Pie |
Oct. - April
|
| Fortune
|
Sweet -
tart |
Eat, Sauce,
Pie |
Sept. -
April |
| Golden Russet*
|
Sweet |
Eat, Salad,
Sauce, Pie |
Oct. - Dec.
|
| Golden Supreme*
|
Sweet |
Eat, Salad,
Sauce |
Sept. -
April |
| Jonamac
|
Sweet -
tart |
Eat, Sauce
|
Sept. -
Nov. |
| Jonathan
|
Tart |
Eat, Salad,
Sauce, Pie |
Sept. -
April. |
| Lady* |
Sweet |
Eat, Decorative
|
Nov. - Dec.
|
| Liberty*
|
Sweet |
Eat |
Sept. -
Dec. |
| Lodi* |
Tart |
Sauce, Pie
|
July - Sept.
|
| Monroe*
|
Tart - sweet
|
Eat, Salad,
Sauce, Bake |
Oct. - Dec.
|
| Newtown
Pippin* |
Sweet |
Eat, Salad,
Bake |
Oct. - Dec.
|
| Northern
Spy |
Tart |
Eat, Sauce,
Bake, Pie, Freeze |
Oct. - Dec.
|
| Pound Sweet*
|
Sweet |
Bake |
October
|
| R.I. Greening*
|
Tart |
Sauce, Pie,
Bake |
Oct. - Feb.
|
| Spartan/Spartamac
|
Sweet |
Eat |
Oct. - June
|
| Spigold*
|
Sweet |
Eat, Pie
|
Oct. - Nov.
|
| Stayman/Winesap*
|
Sweet |
Eat, Salad,
Sauce, Bake, Pie |
Oct. - April
|
| Twenty Ounce
|
Tart |
Sauce, Bake,
Pie, Freeze |
Sept. -
Nov. |
| Tydeman
|
Sweet |
Eat |
Aug. - Sept.
|
| Yellow Transparent*
|
Tart |
Pie |
July - Sept.
|
|
| The
information presented on the varieties of apples available in New York
is from the New York State Apple Growers Association. We gratefully acknowledge
their work and encourage you to visit their very informative and interesting
web site at www.nyapplecountry.com |