Apple Varieties


Apple Varieties In Our Collection

These are the varieties we currently have planted in our young orchard. As they get old enough to produce a crop you will see them on our store shelves.

Old Varieties

Ashmeads Kernel

This is a chance seedling discovered in the UK in 1720. Compared to other russet varieties it is a little dull looking. The taste and consistency of the flesh is said to resemble a pear. It contains little moisture so if not properly stored, the apples will get a rubbery texture.

Ben Davis

The origin of this apple is unknown origin first recorded in 1857. It has a bland taste when it is harvested off the tree in late fall. It develops more flavour in cold storage in January.

Bramleys Seedling

This is the best of the British cooking apples dating to 1837. Up until a few years ago the mother tree was still growing in the UK. When I travelled to the UK I had an apple crisp made form this variety. It is my favourite apple for making apple crisp and has a fantastic flavour.

Cortland

This variety is a McIntosh x Ben Davis cross from around 1905. It has a skin that can be a stripey red but develops more deeper colour later in the season. We find this apple has a fine grained flesh and slightly on the tart side. It is considered a dual purpose apple so can be used in preserves, baking as well as eaten fresh. It is also one of the varieties that naturally resists browning so it will go well in a salad.

Cox’s Orange Pippin

This is another dessert quality apple from the UK. It is a yellow apple with a red blush. It has been described as having a pineapple or cherry like flavour undertone. It is only good as a dessert apple as the flesh tends to break down easily if cooked.

Duchess of Oldenburg

This apple originated in Russia in the mid to late 18th (1750 -1799) century. It is a tart apple used primarily for cooking but for those who like their apple tart, they can be eaten fresh.

Egremont Russett

This is an apple originally documented in the UK around 1880. Like other russets its skin is green/yellow/orange with the attractive russeting. The flesh is considered moist, not juicy and has a flavour resembling pear.

Empire

This is a McIntosh x Delicious cross developed at Cornell University in the 1940’s and introduced into the marketplace in 1963. It is good as a dessert apple and a great lunchbox apple because it does not bruise easily. with a slightly tart to sweet taste.

Fameuse (Snow)

This 17th century apple discovered in Quebec is called snow because of its bright white flesh. As the apple ripens it develops a deep red skin that will impart a nice colour to apple sauce. It is an excellent dessert apple with juicy, sweetish flesh.

Golden Russet

This is another 19th century apple originating in North America and resembles other russet varieties. The flavour is similar to the other varieties in our collection but the flavour is a little more intense.

Gravenstein

The first reference to this apple was in 1797. No one is certain of its origin but it is thought to come from Denmark.

Lobo

This is another McIntosh sport from 1898 that is a slightly improved apple over its parent.

Lodi

Lodi resembles Yellow Transparent but ripens a little later. It also does not tend to have its’ flesh go mealy and soften like the Transparent does.

McIntosh

The variety we have planted is not the original that was found in Ontario in the 1800s. More modern variants of this variety form a solid red skin colour earlier in the season and are more tart than the original.

Macoun

This is a McIntosh type apple was developed in Geneva, New York and introduced in 1920.

Northern Spy

This is a vigorous growing tree from around 1870. It is the royalty of the North American
pie apples. It is slightly tart but makes a “meaty” pie with a rich flavour.

Paulared

This was found in a Michigan fence line in 1960 and is thought to be a McIntosh variant. We find this apple stores well for an early apple and as a slightly tart taste. It is susceptible to powdery mildew.

Reinette Russett

Sport of Reine des Reinette. This apple ripens before Golden Russett and is a larger apple. It has the same traits as other russett varieties.

Wealthy

This apple was discovered in Minnesota and is thought to have cherry crabapple as one of its’ parents. We have found this apple to be tart but it loses crispness fast.

Wolf River

This apple variety is from 1870 and is thought to have Alexander as a parent. We grew these on a rented orchard when I was growing up. They are really large apples and one apple could be used to make a pie. They are an excellent cooking apple.

Yellow Transparent

An early variety discovered in Russia before 1870. It's extremely cold hardy. We used to call these the day old apple because if they were not put into the cold storage right away they would go soft quickly. When this happens they tend to go mealy. Excellent source of pectin for making jelly.

Disease Resistant

Although some of the older varieties have inherent disease resistance, the varieties listed below have been bred for this trait.

Belmac

This more modern apple has been developed using Spartan as one of the parents. We have not tried these yet but I would suspect they will be a sweeter apple. Resistant to scab and rust.

Enterprise

This variety is developed from 4 varieties. Crab apple, McIntosh, Rome and Golden
Delicious, and Rome are its’ parents. It ripens later in the season and it is described as a tart apple with a thick skin.

Freedom

A Macoun, Antanovka cross.

Liberty

Developed in the 1960’s this apple has Macoun as one of its’ parents. It is resistant to scab and rust. I have tried these and even though they have McIntosh genetics, it is a crisper and more tart apple.

Nova Mac

This is a disease resistant variety developed in Nova Scotia. It is a cross between McIntosh and a disease resistant seedling. We have not tried these apples but it should have a taste similar to macs.

Novaspy

Another Nova Scotia developed apple. It is a cross between Nova Easygro, Northern Spy and Golden Delicious. Although scab resistant we have found this variety to be very susceptible to cedar apple rust.

Sweet Sixteen

Northern Spy x Malinda. We planted these in 2020 so do not have much experience with them yet. They are described as having a tart flavour and with Northern Spy as a parent we suspect they will be a good cooking apple.

Newer Varieties


Ambrosia

Golden Delicious x Jonagold or Starkling Delicious. Discovered in British Columbia it does have good storage life and you can taste the Golden Delicious when you bite into it. Another naturally slow browning variety.

Honeycrisp

Another Minnesota developed apple. Keepsake is one of the parents. Most people know about this variety. It is described as sweet but we have found the first bite is slightly tart and the sweetness comes through as you chew it. Not advertised as a slow browning variety but we have found it has this trait and is therefore good in salads.

Gala

Golden Delicious and Kidds Orange Red. This is a sweeter apple and is one of the most widely grown apple varieties in the world.

Ginger Gold

Golden Delicious x Newtown Pippen. Discovered in West Virginia in the 1960s. Another slow browning variety, we feel this is the best of the early apples. It has a slightly sharp taste, with a citrus undertone.