Below are varieties that we are currently growing in our heirloom apple orchard. Unless otherwise noted, these are young grafted trees that we hope will produce marketable fruit within the next 4-5 years. Most are heirloom varieties, although a few are current favorites. This page will be frequently updated, with new information and photos as we have them.
Ashmead’s Kernel
Origin: Gloucester, England, early 1700’s
Color: orange/gold/green/russet skin with yellow flesh
Flavor: intensely sharp and sweet
Best for: fresh eating
Cox’s Orange Pippin
Origin: Bucks, England, 1825
Color: orange/red mottled over yellow skin, yellow flesh
Flavor: highly flavored, subtle notes range from citrus to pear to tropical flavors
Best for: fresh eating
Fireside
Origin: Minnesota, 1940’s
Color: Greenish yellow with red striping
Flavor: I think it tastes like apple candy. Sweet, with tart undertones.
Best for: Fresh eating, makes great applesauce
Note: Note: our Fireside (picture below) has been confirmed correct by DNA testing through Washington State University.
Hamilton
Origin: Southern US in the early to middle 1800’s.
Color: Yellow skin covered with red blushing and/or striping, yellow flesh
Flavor: Sweet
Best for: fresh eating, cooking
Honeycrisp
Origin: developed by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station’s Horticultural Research Center of the University of Minnesota in 1960, cross of Honeygold and Macoun apples, introduced to the public in 1991
Color: yellow skin with red/orange blushing
Flavor: sweet
Best for: fresh eating
Honeygold
Origin: developed by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station’s Horticultural Research Center of the University of Minnesota in the early 1900’s, cross of Golden Delicious and Haralson apples, introduced to the public in 1970
Color: golden yellow skin that may have red blushing, with yellowish-white flesh
Flavor: sweet, sweeter than Golden delicious
Best for: fresh eating
King David
Origin: Arkansas, 1893
Color: green skin overlaid with deep red, yellow flesh
Flavor: intensely tart, notes of spices, citrus, and/or tropical flavors
Best for: fresh eating, cooking, pies, storage
Liberty
Origin: developed by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and released to the public in 1978.
Color: yellow skin with red overtones, white flesh
Flavor: sweet-tart
Best for: fresh eating, cooking
Maiden Blush
Origin: New Jersey, late 1700’s
Color: light yellow skin with red blush, white flesh
Flavor: tart
Best for: cooking, juicing
Mann
Origin: New York, 1850
Color: Yellow skin, yellow flesh
Flavor: subacid
Best for: cooking
McIntosh
Origin: 1800’s, Ontario, Canada
Color: deep red over yellow
Flavor: Balanced subacid, spicy, with subtle fruit punch flavors
Best for: Fresh eating, applesauce
Note: our McIntosh (picture below) has been confirmed correct by DNA testing through Washington State University.
Tolman Sweet
Origin: Massachusetts, 1700’s
Color: yellow-green skin, white flesh
Flavor: sweet
Best for: juice, pies, fresh eating
Wolf River
Origin: Wisconsin, 1860’s
Color: green-yellow skin with red stripes and blushing,
Flavor: subacid
Best for: cooking, baking, applesauce
In case you can’t tell, we love old apples! Have any on your land? We’d love to hear your apple stories and swap scion wood. Feel free to comment below, contact us on our homepage, or drop a note at our roadside stand!
Have an old favorite you’d like to save? If you’re local, we’d be happy to show you how to graft your own tree, or to graft one for you. If you’re not in the area, we recommend the Seed Savers Exchange’s online apple grafting classes, offered each spring. We also recommend taking a visit to Seed Savers heirloom orchards to try their historic apples.
Want to learn about some of our other adventures? Check out our recent experiments with plastic eating mushrooms.
