Apple varieties Alphabetical Chart - which apple to pick and why!

Are you trying to choose the right variety of apple for your needs? There are many to choose from. There are heirloom varieties that have been around for hundreds of years and apple growers are constantly creating new varieties to meet consumer tastes and 2020 is no exception. Scroll down this page for a table of dozens of apple varieties includingphotos and their characteristics and best uses. This page has tips about harvesting and storing apples. And if you bring home some apples and want to make applesauce, apple butter, apple juice, apple pie, apple cobbler, apple crisp, even apple cider, just click the links for each to follow directions and recipes or see this page see this page for a master list of simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, such as this list of local regional and apple festivals - click on the resources dropdown above.

If you have questions or feedback, please let me know!  

What's in season in September 2020, and other timely information:

Notes for September 2020: Summer is almost here! Strawberry season is finished in all but the far northern ands cooler areas. Blueberries, blackberries are in season in most areas, also tomatoes, peaches and most vegetables . Check your area's copy calendar (see this page) and call your local farms for seasonal updates.

Now, more than ever, going to a farm, being outside, away from crowds, getting fresh, local produce, makes more sense than ever before! It's a fun, safe and educational to pick some fresh berries, fruit and veggies and more, then come back here to learn how to freeze, can, make jam, salsa and much more! Of course, check with the farm before you go, both to check on crop availability and hours.  We also have a state-by-state guide to Farm COVID-19 requirements here.

See our comprehensive list of easy home canning, jam and jelly making, preserving, drying and freezing directions. You can access recipes and other resources from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me! It is easy to make your own ice cream, even gelato, or low fat or low sugar ice cream - see this page. Also note, there are many copycat website listing U-pick farms now, using similar sounding names.  They have all copied their information from here and usually do not ever update.  Since 2002, I've been updating the information every day but Christmas; so if you see anything wrong or outdated, please write me!

Canners, both waterbath canners and pressure canners, are getting hard to find as people are doing more home canning than ever before. You can still get them online (see links at left) but prices are going up as the less expensive models are selling out.  Food dehydration is becoming a popular and inexpensive alternative; see this page about drying your own fruits and vegetables and where to get a food dryer.

Children's Consignment Sales occur in both the Spring and Fall  See our companion website to find a local community or church kid's consignment sale!

See these pages to find a local Strawberry Festival, or a Cherry or cherry blossom festival or a Blueberry festival. Some may still be held in 2020.

Apple varieties Alphabetical Chart - which apple to pick and why!

Apples are ripening on their normal schedule this year. There have been few late frosts in the main apple growing regions, rain and temperatures have been good, so the year is shaping up well for a good apple crop. It's too early for prices, but I expect most areas to see $14 to $30 a bushel, depending on variety! Scroll down the page to see the chart, or click here for a PDF print version. And for an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!  To see how to properly store apples for the winter, see this page!

Varieties which are exceptional for a trait are noted in the chart below (Best, very good, etc.). Varieties which are at least good and well-suited have an "X" in a column.  A blank box simply means that they are average for the quality. Ultimately, it is personal preference and cultural traditions. that often determines which varieties of apples are used for which purpose. That said, sweeter and softer apples make the best applesauce (like Gala), harder, drier apples are often used for baking and storing (like Rome and Arkansas Black), and tarter, more crisp and juicier apples are often eaten fresh (like Honeycrisp).

The U.S. Apple Organization tells us the most popular (by sales) fresh apple varieties are, in order:

1. Gala
2. Red Delicious
3. Fuji
4. Granny Smith
5. Honeycrisp
6. Golden Delicious
7. McIntosh
8. Pink Lady
9. Braeburn
10. Ambrosia

Honeycrisp and Pink Lady continue to move up the chart, and Red Delicious is moving down. More heirloom varieties are being grown as sp[ecialty crops, and of course, every year sees some new varieties, most notably, those that resist browning when cut, like Ginger Gold and SnowSweet.

If you would like to print a clean PDF version of this table, click here.

Apple Varieties Guide - Which Apple to Pick and Why!

Summary Table (click here for the detailed guide)

(Sorted alphabetically on variety name; see this page for a sort by typical ripening date)

Blank means OK or average.  Note: all apples should be stored in the fridge; those noted below as needing refrigeration are exceptionally quick to spoil in not refrigerated.

Name	Typical Ripening Date Dates are approximate and vary CONSIDERABLY with weather, location and more!	Eating fresh	Cooking	Apple Sauce	Apple Pie	Apple Juice	Apple Butter	Notes and Storage Tips
Akane	August		X
Ambrosia	mid to late September	X	X	good	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate. Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Arkansas Black	mid to late October		Baking	too hard				Great keeper
Autumncrisp	October	X	X	good	X	X	X	Cross of Golden Delicious and Monroe. Flesh resists browning
Bevan's Favorite	early July		X
Black Twig	mid to late October	X	X	X	X	X	X
Blushing Golden	early to Mid October	X	X		X	X	X
Braeburn	early to Mid October	X	X	X	X			Good all-purpose apple
Cameo	early to Mid October	Very good	X	Very good	X		X	Excellent flavor, Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Cortland	mid to late September	X		X	X	X	X	Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Earligold	August	X	X	X	X			Must Refrigerate
Empire	mid-August through September	X	X	X	X			A McIntosh type apple with a long shelf life.  Aromatic and crisp with creamy white juicy flesh, sweet and tart. Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Enterprise	early to Mid October	X	X
Evercrisp	Mid October through November	Very good	X	Very Good	X	BEST	X	Excellent storage due to it's parents (Fuji and Honeycrisp)
Fuji	mid to late October	Very good	X	BEST	X		X	Excellent all purpose apple, with sweet aromatic flavor, Great keeper; stores well in garage or basement
Gala	mid August to early September	Very good	X	BEST	X	X	X	Very sweet, excellent flavor, Must refrigerate; even then only keeps for a few weeks. Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Ginger Gold	August	Very good	X	Very good	X		X	Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Golden Delicious	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Very sweet, mild flavor, Should Refrigerate
Goldrush	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Tart, strong aroma flavor, should Refrigerate. Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Granny Smith	mid to late October	X	X			X		Very tart almost sour apple
Gravenstein	August	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate
Grimes Golden	August	X	X				X
Honeycrisp	September	Very good	X	good, but watery	X	BEST	X	Sweet, crisp apple. Storage is good, not great
Idared	October	X	X		X
Jazz	early to Mid October	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Newer variety, sweet, juicy
Jersey Mac	August	X	X					OK
Jonagold	mid to late September	X		Very good		X		OK storage, great all purpose apple.
Jonalicious	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Must Refrigerate, very sweet.
Jonamac	mid to late September	X		Very good		X		OK
Jonathan	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	OK
Jubilee	mid September to early October	X	X	X	X			Stores well - it is an earlier version of Fuji
Keepsake	Late September to early October	X	X		X
Liberty	mid to late October	X	X
Lodi	Mid July	X		GOOD				Must Refrigerate
Macoun	mid to late October	X	X
McIntosh	September	X		good		X	X
Melrose	early to Mid October	X	X	Very good	X	X	X
Mollies Delicious	August		X					Must Refrigerate
Mutsu, also called Crispin	Late September to early October	X	X	Very good	X		X
Northern Spy	Late September to early October	X	X					Very good for storing
Opal	mid to late October	X	X			X		Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
PaulaRed	mid August to early September	X	X	X	X		X
Pink Lady	mid to late October	X	X	good	X	X	X
Pristine	early July	X	X	good				Very sweet, juicy, does not store well, bruises easily (like Gala)
Red Delicious	mid to late September	X		good			X
Redfree	Late-July	X	X					Firm flesh and can be held in storage up to 2 months without loss of quality or firmness.
Rome	early to Mid October		X		X
Shizuka	Late September to early October	X	X	X	X	X	X	Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Snowsweet	Late September, 2 weeks after HoneyCrisp	X		X	X	X	X	Good storer. Does not brown when sliced (see this page for more info)
Stayman	Early September
Stayman Winesap	mid to late October	X	X	good		X
Strawberry	Early September	X	X	X	X	X	X	OK
Summer banana	mid-August	X	X					heirloom, when fully ripe has the faint smell of bananas
Suncrisp	mid to late October	X	X		X	X	X
Sundance	early to Mid October	X	X			X	X
SweeTango	mid August to early September	X		X	X		X
Ultra Gold	mid to late September	X	X	X	X	X	X
Virginia Gold	Late-September	X	X					Also good for apple cider
William's Pride	Early-July	X	X
Yates	mid to late October	X	X		X	X		Stores very well
Zestar	mid-July to mid-August	X	X	X	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate

 

Click here for detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics 

Of course, each region of the country and each season varies. Variations in rainfall and temperature greatly affect the usual ripening date. So call ahead!

English Apple Varieties

These links take you to photos on GardenAction.co.uk

• Bramley - The English gush over this apple with a fever (fevour?:) that borders on mania. It's basically a granny smith type, a higher acid content and lower sugar apple, with a stronger, more tangy taste. Bramley's are considered to be an ideal cooking apple.
• Charles Ross
• Crispin
• Early Victoria
• Early Worcester
• Ellisons Orange
• Epicure
• Gibsons Scarlet
• Golden Spire
• Greensleaves
• Howgate Wonder
• Ingrid Marie
• James Grieve
• Jonagored
• Jupiter
• Katy
• Orleans Reinette
• Peasgood Nonsuch
• Red Gravenstein
• Red Victoria
• Rev W. Wilks
• Ribston Pippin
• Rosemary Russett
• Spartan
• Sturmer Pippin
• Sunset
• Superb
• Tydermans Late Orange
• Warners King
• Winston

 

More about apple varieties can be found:

University of Illinois Apple page

More Apple Varieties

Apple Photos
Over 100 photos of apple varieties

Apple photos and brief descriptions

Credits:

photos:
Jonamac, Macoun, PaulaRed: Courtesy of New York Apple Association, © New York Apple Association

And if you are looking for shipping containers for apples and other fruit, see this page.

Home Canning Kits This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc. Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!