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About Our Apples
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Ginger Gold
A Virginia grower discovered this apple
sprouting amid the ruins of a
hurricane-devastated orchard in the late 1960s,
and named this greenish-gold, sweet-tart apple
after his sweetheart. Its parentage includes
Albemarle Pippin, a favorite apple of Thomas
Jefferson. This early-season apple is great for
salads, and cooks well too. Available in the
orchard starting in late-August. |
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McIntosh
This old well-known variety was discovered as a
chance seedling by John McIntosh in 1811. Its
deep red finish sometimes carries a green blush.
Juicy, tangy, & tart, McIntosh has a tender
white flesh. It is best used for snacking and
applesauce, but some people enjoy its tart
flavor in pies as well. (Cook's hints:
McIntosh's flesh cooks down easily; if pie
making, cut your slices thick or add a
thickener). This apple is available in the
orchard in mid-September. |
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Cortland
This variety originated in the late 1890s in New
York state, a cross between McIntosh and Ben
Davis developed at the New York State
Agricultural Experiment Station. Sweeter than
its McIntosh parent, with only a hint of
tartness. Cortland has tender, snow white flesh
that resists browning, making it an excellent
choice for salads, kabobs and garnishes. It is a
highly praised apple for cooking pies. The
Cortland is available mid to late-September. |
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Macoun
This excellent variety is a cross between
McIntosh and Jersey Black. It is a superior
eating apple with just the right snap as you
bite into it. Very crisp and very juicy, this
apple is the prized eating apple here in the
orchard. Available late-September |
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Royal Gala
This variety originated in New Zealand, a cross
between Kidd's Orange Red and Golden Delicious.
The Royal Gala strain was named in honor of
Queen Elizabeth II, who deemed it her favorite
during a visit to New Zealand. It was brought to
the United States in the early 1970s, and is now
one of the country's most popular apples. This
crispy, juicy, very sweet apple is ideal for
snacking. Galas can vary in color, from cream to
red- and yellow-striped. Galas are harvested
beginning in late-September. |
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Cameo
This new apple with an old-world name was
discovered as a chance seedling in the late
1980s in Washington state. Cameo makes its
appearance beginning in October. It bears red
stripes over a cream-colored background.
Extra-crispy Cameo has a sweet-tart taste. This
apple resists browning, making it a natural
choice for salads and fruit trays. Cooks, please
note that Cameo's extra-denseness takes a bit
longer to cook. |
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Jonagold
A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples,
New York native Jonagold offers a unique
honey-tart flavor, and crispy, juicy nearly
yellow flesh. It debuted in 1968, a product of
the New York State Agricultural Experiment
Station. With a yellow-green base skin color and
a red-orange blush, it is excellent both for
eating fresh and for cooking. Jonagold is
typically available in October |
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Empire
Empires premiered in 1966 in the Empire State of
New York, a cross between Red Delicious and
McIntosh developed by the New York State
Agricultural Experiment Station. This crisp,
juicy apple has a delightful sweet-tart flavor
and creamy white flesh, making it a good
all-purpose apple. Stake out your Empire in
late-September. |
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Fuji
Originally developed in Japan in the late 1930s
and named after the famous Mt. Fuji, U.S.-grown
Fujis began appearing in markets in the 1980s.
Fuji is a cross between Ralls Janet and Red
Delicious. This variety's popularity is
skyrocketing, thanks to its sweet flavor and
firmness. Fuji apples are bi-colored, typically
striped with yellow and red. They are available
beginning mid-October. |
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Crispen / Mutsu
As its alternative name suggests, Crispin also
has Japanese origins. This 1930 cross of Golden
Delicious and the Japanese variety Indo was
named Mutsu upon its 1949 release. It was
renamed Crispin in 1968 in the United Kingdom,
and New York adopted that name several years
ago. In Michigan it is still widely known as
Mutsu. It is one of the later varieties, with a
mid-October harvest in Michigan, and does double
duty as a fresh apple and a processing apple. It
is typically greenish on the outside and creamy
white on the inside with firm-textured juicy
flesh. It has a moderately sweet flavor. |
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Red Delicious
This most widely recognized of all U.S. apple
varieties originated in Iowa in the 1870s. This
sweet, crispy, juicy apple varies in color from
striped red to solid midnight red. This apple is
best eaten fresh or in salads. Red Delicious
apples are available in early-October. |
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Granny Smith
This Australian native was discovered in 1868 as
a chance seedling by "Granny" Anne Smith of Ryde,
New South Wales. One parent might have been a
French Crab Apple. Grannys are known for their
distinctive green flesh, which sometimes bears a
red blush, and their very tart flavor. An
all-purpose apple, Grannys work equally well as
a snack or in pies and sauce. U.S. Grannys are
harvested in mid-October |
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Braeburn
This apple originated in New Zealand in the
early 1950s, as a chance seedling with Lady
Hamilton and Granny Smith as possible parents.
Now grown in the United States, Braeburn is a
multipurpose apple good for all types of apple
uses. Its color varies from orange to red over a
yellow background. This crisp, juicy apple has a
rich, spicy-sweet flavor. U.S. Braeburns are
available beginning in October. |
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Honeycrisp
This honey of an apple has a honeyed, mild
flavor and a crispness deemed explosive. Crispy,
juicy and sweet, this popular newcomer is a
cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold.
Honeycrisp's skin is a distinctive mottled red
over a yellow background, with coarse flesh.
This apple is good for snacking, salads and
sauce-making, and stores well. Honeycrisp is
college educated, developed by the University of
Minnesota. Harvested beginning in September,
supplies are limited but growing here in the
orchard. |
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Paula Red
If you like tart apples, sink you teeth into a
Paula Red. It’s one of the earliest varieties
and the first taste of fall for many apple
lovers. Paul Red’s are a tart, juicy apple with
crisp white flesh. They are excellent for
eating and make good applesauce of which you
need little or no sugar. |
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Red Rome / Rome Beauty
Referred to as the “baker’s buddy,” this
apple was discovered as a chance seedling in the
early 1800s on a farm near Rome Township, Ohio.
Famed for its storage qualities, this mildly
tart apple is primarily used for cooking and is
especially good baked or sautéed. The Rome
apple is typically available beginning in
September. |
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Golden Delicious
This old favorite was discovered as a change
seedling in 1890 in Clay County, W.VA., and was
originally named Mullin’s Yellow Seedling.
Renamed in 1916, its parents are thought to be
Golden Reinette and Grimes Golden. Golden’s
have a pale yellow skin, sometimes with a red
blush. Mellow and Sweet, all-purpose Golden’s
are great for eating out of hand, baking and
salads. Golden’s crisp, pale yellow flesh
resists browning, making it a good choice for
salads and other dishes. Cooks, note that you
can reduce the amount of added sugar when making
pies with Golden’s. |
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Baldwin
Soon after 1740 the Baldwin came up as a chance
seedling on the farm of Mr. John Ball,
Wilmington, near Lowell, MA., and for about 40
years thereafter its cultivation was confined to
that immediate neighborhood. The farm
eventually came into the possession of a Mr.
Butters, who gave the name Woodpecker to the
apple because the tree was frequented by
woodpeckers. The apple was long known locally
as the Woodpecker or Pecker. It was also called
the Butters. Deacon Samuel Thompson, a surveyor
of Woburn, brought it to the attention of Col.
Baldwin of the same town, by whom it was
propagated and more widely introduced in Eastern
Massachusetts as early as 1784. From Col.
Baldwin’s interest in the variety it came to be
called the Baldwin. The Baldwin is a bright red
winter apple, above medium in size or large, and
very good quality. It stands handing well
because of its firm texture and thick skin. |
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Pink Lady
Notable for its hot pink skin color and lily
white flesh, this Southern Hemisphere native is
now growing la
vita loca stateside.
A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady
Williams, crunchy Pink Lady has a unique
sweet-tart flavor described as “Gala with a
zing!” Pink Lady is great for snacking, slicing
or dicing on a salad, and for baking. This lady
makes her debut in mid-October, one of the last
varieties to be harvested. |
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Northern Spy
Late season. A large, handsome apple, the
yellow background color is almost totally
covered in bright red oversplashed and striped
with darker carmine red. The skin has a light
bloom. An excellent flavored, slightly
yellowish fleshed, very crisp and juicy apple
that is still grown commercially in some
countries, particularly the USA, even though it
bruises easily and is more difficult to
transport. Northern Spy is also a very good
culinary apple. |
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We love our orchards and know you will too.
We regret that we cannot allow animals into the orchard.
Please visit us soon and remember to eat fruit at least
five times daily!
Bring Home the Good Life!
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For information about what crop is available and when,
please visit our Growing Schedule.
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