Apple Varieties | Apple Information | Apple Usage

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Fruit - Including over forty varieties of our heritage and modern apple varieties

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Hard Ice Cream - A variety of seasonal flavours

Cold Pressed Apple Juice - Made from a special blend of apple varieties 100 % pure unfiltered & UV light pasteurized also available as a slushie so gooood in the heat or frozen in the jug

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Our Apple Varieties

Summer Varieties

• EARLIGOLD (Golden Delicious X Yellow Transparent) Selah, Washington 1980s. Uniform roundish-conical shape with smooth yellow thin skin. Medium to large size. A new distinct variety. Superb fresh, in salads, pies and outstanding for sauce. Stores longer than other early varieties - up to 2 months under good storage conditions.*
• PAULARED (Seedling of McIntosh and Wealthy) Summer apple with fall-apple qualities. Flavour is tart-sweet, very Mac-like but ripens two to three weeks earlier than McIntosh. Stores up to 3 months under good storage conditions.*
• RED GRAVENSTEIN An improved red strain of a 1700s heritage variety. Fine early apple for fresh eating, sauce, pies and cider. Thin skinned. Flesh is tender, juicy and highly flavoured(mellow-tart). Short shelf life of about one month unless picked early and put into cold storage immediately.
• SUMMER DUCHESS (Seedling of Duchess of Oldenburg) Russia 1700s. Lovely medium to large sized greenish yellow summer apple with stripes and splashed of bright red. Flesh is fine textured, firm and juicy but has a short shelf life before becoming soft. Tart and refreshing flavour~better than Yellow Transparent. Good for eating, pies, sauce. Must be refrigerated or will turn mealy quickly.
• SUMMER-RED (McIntosh X Golden Delicious) Summerland Research Station intro. Early medium to large bright-red cylindrical apple. Firm, crisp and juicy variety with good flavour. Use fresh, in salads, pies and especially sauce. Retains its flavour even when it goes soft. Stores up to 2 months under good storage conditions.*
• SUNRISE [(McIntosh X Golden Delicious) X PCF3 120] Summerland Research Station intro. Fruit medium to large, uniform oval-round. Pale yellow with bright red stripes or blush. Flesh has excellent sweet flavour(unusual for a summer apple), white to cream colour with a crisp and juicy texture. Short shelf life. Refrigerated, it may keep up to l month.*

Early Main-Season Varieties

• ELSTAR (Ingrid Marie X Golden Delicious) Netherlands 1972. Tangy-tart apple with firm, juicy cream-coloured flesh. Excellent crisp, melting texture. Good for fresh eating, pie , dried and in sauce. Retains its flavour even when it goes soft. A favourite in Europe. Should keep 2 months or more under good storage conditions.*
• GALA / ROYAL GALA (Kid’s Orange Red X Golden Delicious) New Zealand 1934. Medium sized yellow apple striped and blushed with bright orange-red. (Royal Gala is a highly coloured sport.) Flavour is dessert quality: very sweet. Excellent fresh eating. Will keep 2-3 months under good storage conditions.*
• GOLDEN NUGGET (Golden Russet X Cox’s Orange Pippin.) Kentville, NS 1949. Small, broadly conical, long-stemmed apple predominantly yellow streaked/splashed with bright orange. Some russet. Sugar sweet, rich flavour. Choice dessert apple. Ripens just before Cox’s Orange. Short storage life: 1-2 months.*
• HANNA SPECIAL (chance seedling Wealthy X found in our orchard, Salmon Arm 1980) Fruit is medium to large size, oblong, yellow-skinned with attractive red striping and blush. Flesh is coarse, texture is crisp, and flavour good. Excellent fresh, for drying, pies, sauce and cider. Should keep 3 months or more under good storage conditions.*
• JONAMAC (Jonathan X McIntosh) Geneva, NY 1972. Most years ripens just before McIntosh. Fruit is medium size, form, crisp and of high quality. Slightly sweeter than Mac(more Spartan-like). Multi-purpose. Should keep 1-2 months under good storage conditions.*
• McINTOSH (Fameuse X Detroit Red) Chance seedling discovered in 1870. Excellent multi-purpose apple for fresh use, sauce, juice and cider. Distinctive aroma and tangy flavour. Flesh is firm and crisp. Cooks up soft and smooth~doesn’t hold shape in pies. Under good storage conditions* should keep 2 months or more.

Main-Season Varieties

• AMBROSIA Cawston, BC 1990s. A chance seedling, probably Golden Delicious X Starking Delicious. Beautiful fruit of a translucent cream colour blushed with rosy red. Very sweet and crunchy. Slow to oxidize so excellent for fresh salads and for fresh eating. Keeps well~at least 3 months in good storage conditions.*
• BRAMLEY’S SEEDLING Heritage variety~1809. England’s favourite baking apple. Flesh is firm, juicy, and piquantly acidic and the tart juice(high in Vit. C) is a lively addition to cider blends. Will keep 4-5 months in good storage conditions.*
• COX’S ORANGE PIPPIN (Chance Ribston Pippin seedling) Early 1800s heritage variety. A firm, juicy, full-flavoured apple with creamy coloured flesh. One of the finest dessert apples. A favourite in Great Britain. Use fresh, in pies, sauce, and cider. Keep up to 2 months under good storage conditions.*
• EGREMONT RUSSET England, prior to 1872. Prized as the most delicious of the english russets. Small round golden brown russet fruit often with black spots. Greenish yellow flesh with richly nutty flavour develops an almost smoky tannic quality after keeping an d flesh becomes drier. Good keeper~3 to 4 months under good storage conditions.*
• EMPIRE (McIntosh X Red Delicious) Geneva Station, New York 1966 into. Flesh is form, crisp, juicy with sub-acid flavour. Medium sized fruit is round/oblong with dark, almost purple blush. Great for fresh eating and pies(holds shape well). Good keeper~3 months or more under good storage conditions.*
• GOLDEN DELICIOUS (chance seedling of Grimes Golden) Large conic golden yellow fruit. Firm, crisp, juicy, flavourful flesh. Slow to oxidize. Mild sweet flavour improves with storage. High quality all purpose apple. Retains shape while baking. Shrivels in storage but otherwise stores well~3 months or more in good storage conditions.* It’s sweetness when processed is an advantage where additional sugar is not desired.
• HONEYCRISP (Macoun X Honeygold)U. of Minnesota intro.1960. Exceptionally crisp texture and a mildly aromatic, juicy flesh characterize this variety. Skin is mottles red over creamy yellow. Stores 5-6 months under good storage cond’ns.*
• JONAGOLD (Jonathan X Golden Delicious) Geneva, New York 1968 intro. Creamy yellow flesh is crisp and juicy. Excellent sweet-tart dessert apple. A favourite in Europe. Use fresh, in pies, and dried(makes only a fair sauce). Should keep up to 3-4 months under good storage conditions*
• SEPTEMBER WONDER FUJI (aka JUBILEE FUJI) The earliest true Fuji strain, ripening 6 wks. earlier than standard Fuji.(about the same time as Red Delicious) Same good eating qualities as Fuji although not as good a keeper(about 3 months in good storage conditions*)
• KANDIL SINAP Early 1800s, Turkey. Tall cylindrical apple with creamy yellow porcelain-like skin with red blush. Crisp, juicy, fine-textured flesh of excellent flavour: sweet-sharp. Keeps up to 4 months in good storage conditions.*
• KING (aka KING OF TOMPKINS COUNTY) New York 1804 Heritage variety. Very fine dessert, sauce, baking and juice apple. Beautiful large yellow apple with red stripes and flush. Crisp, coarse, juicy flesh. Sweet-sub-acid, aromatic flavour. Keeps 3 months or more under good storage conditions.*
• PINK PEARMAIN(aka Pink Sparkle) California early 1900s. Has a distinctive ‘upside-down’ shape with a broad base and narrow stem end. Flesh is deep pink. Tart, aromatic, yet mildly sweet and juicy. Makes pink applesauce and attractive fruit tarts. Ripens late September. Keeps about 3 months.
• SONATA (aka PINOVA & Corail) Golden Del X (Duchess of Oldenburg X Cox’s Orange Pippin) New intro from Germany 1990s. Red blush over golden skin gives orange appearance. Med. size round apple with sweet tangy flavour. Stores 3-4 months under good storage conditions.*
• RED DELICIOUS (believed to be a chance seedling of Yellow Bellflower) Iowa 1872. Primarily an apple for fresh eating, not cooking. A sweet apple with just a hint of tartness. It has distinctive oblong shape. Sweetness improves with storage. Keeps well under good storage conditions.*
• SENSHU (Toko X Fuji from Japan 1980) A medium to large bright red apple with a flavour and texture similar to Fuji but ripening earlier. Creamy white flesh has a sweet sprightly flavour and crackling crisp texture.
• SHAMROCK (Spur Mac X Spur Golden Delicious) Summerland Research Station intro. A green apple sometimes blushed with red. Looks like a Granny Smith but is sweeter tasting~more like a Mac. Excellent multi-purpose apple. Flesh is firm, juicy and flavourful. Should keep 3 months or more under good storage conditions.
• SINTA (Grimes Golden X Golden Delicious) Summerland Research Stn. 1970s Intro. Round slightly irregularly-shaped, attractive yellow apple with very good sweet-tart flavour and crispy texture, superior to either parent. Multi-purpose variety. Keeps up to 5 months under good storage conditions.*
• SNOW (aka Fameuse) Quebec 1600s. Parent of McIntosh. Excellent dessert, cooking, juice and cider variety. Beautiful bright red skin. Tender flesh is bright white, sometimes stained crimson. Keeps 2-3 months under good storage conditions.*
• SPARTAN (McIntosh X Newtown Pippin) Summerland Research Stn. 1936 intro. Excellent all purpose apple with crisp, white flesh and unusually small core. Sweet, juicy, dense flesh~add lemon juice for better flavour when baking. Under good storage conditions* keeps most of the winter.

Late Varieties

• APRICOT APPLE Salem , Oregon 1987. Chance seedling. Skin is blushed dull reddish-orange while shape is flat with a somewhat convex calyx Golden-yellow flesh is very firm, crisp with unique, apricot-like aftertaste. Ripens early November. Should keep several months.*
• BOSKOOP (Belle de Boskoop) A heritage variety introduced in Holland in 1856. Large russetted apples with yellow and red flushed skin. (Hubsch-Schmidt Boskoop is a more highly coloured sport) Highly flavoured, aromatic variety with acidic, firm flesh. Should be stored several months to allow flesh to soften and flavours to sweeten and mellow. Outstanding cooking and dessert apple. A favourite in Europe. Excellent keeper.*
• CALVILLE BLANC D’HIVER Intro. 1598. Very popular dessert apple in France. More Vit. C than an orange. Fruit is medium-large, pale green with red dots on the sunny side. Flesh is tender, juicy, with an aromatic, spicy flavour. Use for fresh-eating, pies, sauce and cider. Excellent keeper.*
• GOUD REINETTE Heritage Dutch variety 1650s. Excellent dessert apple, good for cider. Small green to golden-yellow fruit with russet spots and a dull blush. Flesh is crisp, yellow and sweet and slightly tart. Keeps up to 5 months under good storage conditions.*
• GOLDEN RUSSET New York 1845 In the 19 th Century, this variety was often voted number one among dessert and keeping apples. Also an excellent cider apple. Fruit is medium-sized with russeted skin varying from grey-green to bronze with a copper-orange cheek. Flesh is fine grained and crisp with sugary juice. Keeps all winter in good storage conditions.*
• GRANNY SMITH Australia 1870s Skin in pure grass green sometimes with bright reddish blush. Hard, crisp, juicy white flesh with acidic flavour. Useful cooking apple as flesh retains shape. Needs long growing season to mature. Very good keeper~’til spring in good storage conditions.*
• IDARED (Jonathan X Wagener) Large yellow/bright red flushed to solid bright red fruit. Flesh is white, firm, crisp and mildly acid. Flavour mellows in storage. Best suited to cooking. Keeps most of winter under good storage conditions.*
• MELROSE (Jonathan X Red Delicious) Ohio 1944. Medium to large homely yellow-green fruit flushed with red streaks. Green-tinged flesh is sweet-sharp, juicy, crisp and dual purpose. An excellent keeper~6 months or more. Flavour improves after 1-2 months in storage.*
• MUTSU (aka CRISPIN) A Golden Delicious X Indo introduced in Japan in 1930. Good dessert apple and first class for cider and sauce(leave peels on while cooking to enhance flavour). Considered too sweet to make good pies. Very large green fruit ripens yellow with prominent lenticils and keeps 3-4 months under good storage conditions.*
• NEWTOWN PIPPIN Heritage variety from New York 1759. Highest quality dessert, cider and cooking apple. Bright green fruit with brownish-purple flush. Rich yellow, juicy flesh with refreshing ‘piney’ tartness. Highly flavoured. Use in sauce, pies, and cider. Keeps 3-4 months under good storage conditions.*
• NORTHERN SPY Heritage variety New York 1800. Large round, often flatted greenish yellow fruit flushed and striped pinkish red. Occasionally russetted. Thin skinned, fine grained, firm, tender, crisp, juicy yellow flesh. Tart, aromatic, subacid flavour. Excellent all purpose apple(except for drying). High Vit. C content. Slices retain shape when baked. Very long keeper.*
• ORIN (Golden Del. X Indo from Japan) Late maturing apple with greenish yellow skin with prominent lenticils. Crisp yellowish flesh is very sweet and aromatic. Stores exceptionally well~up to 6 months in good storage conditions.*
• RED ROME (LAW STRAIN) A highly coloured strain of the heritage variety Rome Beauty which was intro’d Ohio 1848. Very firm, mellow flavoured, slightly tart flesh. Considered the best apple for individual baked apples because it holds it shape well. Unless you love HARD apples, store at least a month before using. Excellent winter keeper~3 to 6 months under good storage conditions.*
• SPIGOLD (Northern Spy X Golden Delicious) Geneva NY 1962. Very large golden yellow fruit covered with bright red stripes. Tender skin. Fine grained, firm, crisp, yellow flesh. Exceptionally high quality apple. Ripens late Oct. Stores well~ 3 months or more.
• VANDERPOOL RED Oregon 1903. Antique variety that was often planted in early west coast orchards. Medium-small sized red fruit. Very firm and flavourful. Stays juicy in storage until April. Keeps up to 6 months under good storage conditions.*
• WINTER BANANA A heritage variety introduced in 1890. Beautiful large pale yellow apple with a waxy finish. One side is usually blushed rosy-pink. Flesh is sweet, scented, melting. Distinctive aromatic flavour is reminiscent of bananas. Not a good cooker because flavour is so mild. Good keeper but will turn mealy if stored too long.*
• QUINCE a relative of the apple and pear. Fruit is shaped like a small pear but flesh is very firm and skin is fuzzy. Beautiful clear yellow fruit are used for cooking and preserves. Flesh turns caramel-red when cooked for a long time. Distinctively tasty flavour addition to apple pies and jelly. Never eat raw~they are very hard and astringent.

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Apple Information

Did you know?

• Apples are best kept at a temperature between 0° C (32° F) and 4° C (40 ° F) and at a relative humidity of 80 to 90%. (If you don’t have room in your refrigerator or if your cold room is just not cold enough, try putting the apples into an insulated picnic cooler and leaving them outdoors out of direct sunlight or in an unheated garage.
• Apples bruise very easily. Handle them carefully - as gently as you would handle eggs.
• To prevent oxidation (discolouration) of peeled apples, place slices in a bowl of cold water containing some lemon juice, ascorbic acid(1 tsp. Per gal. of water), six 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets per gal. of water, or a pinch of salt foreach whole apple sliced.
• The ethylene gas emitted by apples acts as a ripening/maturing agent on other fruits, vegetables and flowers as well. Apples stored with potatoes tend to cause them to sprout and shrivel, cause carrots to become bitter, asparagus to toughen, lettuce to develop brown spots and cucumbers to yellow. The ethylene gas can be a benefit, however, in ripening tomatoes.
• To determine whether an apple variety will make a good pie, consider these things: a degree of tartness is important if the fruit is to stand up to the oven’s heat and the recipe’s sweetener. Secondly, slices should keep their shape and not turn into sauce. Finally, a durable, aromatic flavour is vital, unless your recipe contains lemon juice and/or cinnamon to provide the piquancy and interest.
• Good Cider Apples:
  • Sweet: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome, Empire, Sinta, Fameuse, Golden Russet, Spartan, Gala, Golden Reinette, Calville Blanc d’Hiver, Orin, Senshu
  • Tart: Hanna Special, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Newtown Pippin, Gravenstein, Elstar, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley’s Seedling, Egremont Russet

What’s in an apple?

• Calories: 80
• Carbohydrates: 18 grams
• Protein: 0.3 grams
• Fat: 0.5 grams
• Dietary fibre: 5 grams*
• Cholesterol: 0
• Sodium: 0
• Potassium: 170 milligrams

* One apple provides about 1/5 of our daily dietary requirement for fibre.

Apple Math

• 1 bushel of apples is approximately:
  • 40 lb. or 18 kg.
  • 120 medium apples(2 ½” - 3" / 6-7cm)
  • 80 large apples
  • 20 x 9" pies
  • 22 quarts (22 l.) of applesauce
  • 32 quarts (32 l.) of sliced apples
  • 2-3 gallons of juice depending on the type of juice extraction method used and the apple varieties used
• 1 cup(250 ml)= 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 ½ c.(375 ml)= 1 large apple, peeled, cored, sliced
• 3 cups(750 ml)= 5 small apples, peeled, cored, sliced, OR
  3 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced, OR
  2 large apples, peeled, cored, sliced.
• 1 quart( l litre)= 7 small apples, peeled, cored, sliced OR
  4 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced OR
  3 large apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 lb.(454 g) = 4-5 small apples, peeled, cored, sliced >yields about 3 cups of diced and cored
  3 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced fruit, and about l ½ to 2 cups
  2 large apples, peeled, cored, sliced sauce.
• 1 pie 9"(23cm)= 8 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• 4 lb. raw apples=1 lb.(454 g) dried apple slices

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Apple Usage

Applesauce

Early varieties that go soft quickly and cook down soft and smooth:

• Summerred
• Earligold (doesn’t oxidize)
• Summer Duchess

These varieties make a lovely pink coloured sauce if the fruit is cooked with the peel left on and put through a food mill:

• McIntosh
• Paula red
• Summerred
• Pink Pearmain (Pink flesh = Pink sauce)

These varieties make a sweet sauce that needs very little sugar added:

• Jonamac
• Spartan
• Golden Delicious (doesn’t oxidize and it cooks up chunky)
• Melrose
• Braeburn

Excellent varieties for making a more tart, full-bodied, flavourful sauce:

• Elstar
• Hanna Special
• Cox’s Orange

Pies

Varieties that are flavourful and hold their shape during baking are preferred for pie baking. Listed in order from most tart to sweetest, they are:

• Boskoop
• Bramley’s Seedling (soft if baked long)
• Golden Russet
• Melrose
• Elstar
• Gravenstein
• Northern Spy
• Earligold
• Hanna Special
• Sonata
• Calville Blanc d’Hiver
• Jonagold
• Empire
• Goud Reinette
• Shamrock
• Sinta
• Spartan
• Golden Delicious

*N.B.~ while sweeter varieties need less sugar added, the flavour of the resulting pie tends to be more bland than pies made with more tart varieties of apples.

Best for Fresh Eating

Best Long-Keeping Varieties*

• Spartan
• Golden Delicious
• Orin
• Fuji
• Sinta
• Empire
• Newtown Pippin
• Idared
• Boskoop
• Red Rome
• Honeycrisp
• Vanderpool Red
• Winter Banana
• Shamrock
• Jonagold
• Red Delicious
• Melrose

*Good storage conditions = just above freezing at relatively high humidity.

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