Granny Smith

Granny Smith first brought the idea of the green apple to American apple eaters. Shaking the idea that green automatically means unripe, Granny has won fans with its tart, but not sour taste. Granny Smith is also popular because of its hard exterior, making it easy to ship, and its ability to be stored in the cold for half a year or more.

Not always a favorite to eat whole, Granny Smiths are usually popular in juices and sauces. Harvested in October, the paler Grannys, with a warmish cast, tend to be sweetest.

Jonathan

Jonathan has come a long way since its discovery is Ulster County, New York in the early 1800s. Within a century, it was among the top 6 most popular apples in America, and became Michigan’s most popular variety.

Jonathan can vary in flavor from mild to tart, depending on its growing location. It has a spicy tang that some people also note in the apple’s descendants. Beneath the thin but tough skin, the flesh is crisp, fine-textured, and juicy. This variety rates high for both eating and fresh cooking down to sauce, but it won’t keep its shape when baked. Toss Jonathans into a hopper of a cider mill, and you’ll retain something of their spicy character.

Rome Beauty

Also known simple as Rome, this variety has history that goes back to a fortuitous oversight. In the 1820s, a tree planted along the Ohio river sent up a shoot from below the graft- the part of the tree which is not supposed to bear fruit. Orchardists often remove these unwanted shoots, but this one survived and became a local favorite, named after Rome Township, Ohio.

Rome, known for its handsome looks and long shelf life, is a thick-skinned fruit which is better for baking and cider making than being eaten whole. Harvest is from late September to November, but beware: these apples can lose their flavor from storage.

Winesap

Winesap is the distillation of a crisp fall day. The apple has character- too much character for some. Beneath its sturdy skin the yellow flesh is firm, toothsome, and very juicy, with a powerful sweet-sour contrast and its winy flavor and aroma. Winesap serves well in the kitchen, with many making use of its flavor in sauce, pie, and cider.

Winesap is thought to have originated from New Jersey. By 1817, it was recorded as an important cider apple in that state. Its popularity spread, Winesap remained a late-season apple until the advent of controlled atmosphere storage in the mid-1900s made it possible to offer many varieties in its season. Winesae continues to be widely grown, despite its small size and competition from a milder offspring, Stayman.

Criterion

Criterion was discovered as a chance seedling near Parker, Washington. The variety’s genetic mix includes Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, and Winter Banana. It was introduced in 1973.

The flesh is notably crisp, firm, and juicy. Criterion tastes mild and sweet, with a touch of tartness, all suffused by a good aroma. This variety is recommended for all kitchen uses, including drying.

Following its October harvest, this fruit will keep its quality for some months.

Gala

Gala is a strikingly attractive apple. The bright yellow skin stippled with red is so intense that it could be confused with a peach. This pale, creamy yellow flesh is crisp and dense, with a mild, sweet flavor and good aroma. This usually small fruit is often marketed as lunchbox sized snacks. In taste tests, the Gala outscores McIntosh easily, and is considered more sprightly than Golden Delicious. Gala is best eaten whole, but can also be dried or used in some ciders. This fruit, imported from New Zealand, appears in stores from August into October. Refrigerating these apples will stretch their life another 3 or 4 months.

Jonagold

The fortunes of Jonagold reveal much about nation differences in apple appreciation. Although released in 1968 by New York State’s Geneva Station, this cross of Jonathan and Golden Delicious has succeeded far better in Europe than at home While Jonagold is on its way to becoming Europe’s number one apple, crowds are home are resisting it, preferring the more tame Red Delicious.

With its aroma of Golden Delicious and the sprightliness of Jonathan, Jonagold is an excellent sweet-tart dessert apple. The fruit also makes a fair sauce and a good pie.

Harvest varies from mid-September to late October. The apples keep well unless picked late in their two-week harvest period.

McIntosh

McIntosh is the best-selling apple in the northeastern United States and Canada. Unlike Red Delicious, the number one apple in North America, McIntosh isn’t the subject of snide remarks by apple aficionados. Originally a cross between Fameuse and Detroit Red apples bred by John McIntosh in Ontario, this variety was introduced in 1870 and went on to fame, and much crossbreeding.

The apple, in case you haven’t visited your supermarket’s produce section lately, has white, tender, crisp flesh that’s spice, highly aromatic, and full of juice. The characteristic flavor carries over into sauce, and also cider.

Harvest is in September. Beware of McIntosh has winter wears on; the apples can turn mealy if stores too long.

Gravestein

Gravestein has wandered around much of the world on its way to America. It is thought to have originated in either Russia or Italy, before becoming established in the area around Germany and Denmark. This explains why the apple is can be referred to as Russian, Italian, German, or Danish in origin. Regardless of its European origin, Gravestein arrived in the United States in the late 1700s and is still grown commercially in California.

Gravestein is thin-skinned and juicy, with enough sweetness and acid to make it interesting. This personality carries over when cooking pies and sauce, and is noticeable in an all-Gravestein cider.

The fruit is picked in late July and August. Be wary of Gravesteins still on the market in the fall; their quality doesn’t hold up in storage.