12 Lesser-Known Apple Varieties That Growers Recommend
Some apples are household names. You've got the unstoppable Red Delicious, the incredibly hot (and expensive) Honeycrisp, and old standards like Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji, most available in the big-box grocery stores. But apples are a curious lot, and with over 1,700 official varieties out there, there are hundreds of odd and interesting kinds only available at nearby orchards and farmers' markets. With apple season in full swing, it's time to get out and try them. Here are eleven that the growers hold high.
Flickr user Chris Martino1/12Stayman's Winesap
Pam Mount has been running Terhune Orchards in Princeton, N.J., with her husband, Gary, since 1975. They started with 55 acres and a farm stand, and have grown to nearly 200 acres, with half of that dedicated to pick-your-own apples. One of Pam's favorites is the Stayman's Winesap. "It's a very old apple, with a lot of full-bodied flavor," she says. "And it's hard, and juicy, and will stay great for months. It's good for cooking, eating, or juice. You could make a great cider out of just this one kind of apple." She notes that it's not the prettiest. "It has a thick skin with lots of russetting. But that protects it from dehydrating, so the inside stays really beautiful and it's the reason it's so tasty and stores so well."
Flickr user Clover_12/12Cortland Apple
If you like making fresh apple salads, Pam recommends the Cortland. "It's an old-fashioned apple, and very white on the inside. But the flesh doesn't go brown too fast when you expose it to the air. So you can make a salad, and it'll look great. Now they have new varieties that are much redder [called Redcorts], but the traditional ones are half green and half red."
Flickr user The Coastal Chick3/12Macoun Apple
Pam's also a fan of the Macoun, a McIntosh style apple from the 1920s. "It's thin-skinned, kind of green, with a nice little stripe of color." It's not the easiest to grow. "The challenge is that they grow in clusters, like grapes. And as they grow they push each other off. So it's not a huge producer. And the tree has long spindly branches that shake around. But I call it icy-hard. When you bite into it, it's like biting into an ice cube. It's really crisp."
Flickr user gitsul4/12Haralson Apple
Lin and Bonnie Deardorff, of Deardorff Orchards in Waconia, Minnesota, have to contend with the weather when choosing what to grow. "The apples have to be able to handle our climate," says Lin, who's been running his orchard since 1982. "One of the best is the Haralson. It's a late-season apple. It's tart, but still good for eating out of hand. It's got a good balance of acid and sugar levels, so we use it for making apple wine. And it holds up well when cooked."
Flickr user degeerelle5/12Wealthy Apple
Lin also likes the Wealthy. "Developed back in 1880, it's rarely grown anymore," says Bonnie. "It was discovered by Peter Gideon, who named it for his wife. Growers don't love it because it ripens constantly and slowly. You have to pick a few off the tree every couple days. But it's a soft, small, tart, pie apple with a lot of flavor."
6/12Roxbury Russet Apple
One of Bonnie's favorites is the Roxbury Russet, which she calls "the perfect cider apple." It's one of the oldest apples to be grown in America, and has been here since the early 17th century. "You can eat it out of hand, but the balance of sugar and acid make it ideal for pressing." The rough, "russeted" skin, has lots of spots and patches. "It looks just like a russet potato," says Bonnie, "but taste-wise, it's just wonderful."
7/12Honeygold Apple
Another interesting apple is the Honeygold. Developed by the University of Wisconsin to make a Yellow Delicious hearty enough to last through the winter so far north, the university ended up in 1969 with this. "They bruise easily, so you can only really pick them by hand. You can't send them down the packing line," says Lin. "But it has a very sweet, smooth flavor."
Flickr user D. H. Wright8/12Bramley's Seedling Apple
Tim Bates, at the Apple Farm in Philo, California, grows over 80 varieties of apple. "We began 30 years ago with just seven," he said. "But I started going to apple tastings, and trading wood [cuttings] around with other farmers, and, well, here we are." One of Tim's favorites is the Bramley's Seedling. "This is the greatest baking apple of all time," says Tim. "It's incredibly tart, but it cooks down to a very smooth purée, and is very popular in England."
Flickr user spinnerin9/12King David Apple
Another one Tim recommends is the King David. "I got some grafting wood from a neighbor and have done well with this," say Tim. "It's a complex, wonderful balance of tart, nutty, juicy, and sweet. It's basically everything you could ask for in an apple."
Flickr user esimpraim10/12Wickson Apple
Oddly, one of the more popular apples at the Philo farm is a crab apple. "Everyone who's been here and worked on the farm is crazy about the Wickson," he says. "It's like the King David in terms of balance, but the flavor is very different. It's a crab apple, but it's a large crab. Every other crab apple I've had so far has been bitter and small, but this one is not." Wicksons tend to make good cider, as they are sweet and acidic.
Lester Public Library11/12Connell Red Apple
Then there's the Connell Red. "No one's ever heard of it. It's an out-of-hand apple, which is about the highest compliment you can pay," says Tim. "You just eat it. You don't need to do anything to it. It's got just enough complexity. It's perfect."
Flickr user Adam Drewes12/12Arkansas Black Apple
Holly Mackey of Mackey's Orchard, which has been in Belvidere, N.J., for eight generations, also loves the Connell Red. But her hands-down favorite is the Arkansas Black. "It's a late-season apple, not so great for cooking. They're super-hard. You can throw them at a wall without bruising them. But they have a wonderful flavor, and they're beautiful. Like a dark, purple blackish." The color tends to get even darker in storage. "I have customers who polish them with oil and use them as table decorations until they decide to eat them."
