Apple Varieties
Here we are having just completed our 40th harvest at The Apple Farm. We finally have enough years under our belt to make a stab at describing the 40 or so varieties that we have growing here. Several people have offered their input, complete with humor and the occasional snide remark. Since opinions and resources are often in conflict, we put a distinctive Northern California (Apple Farm) twist on traditional descriptions. We hope you enjoy perusing this list and we invite comments if you have a take on a particular variety. Also realize that the list is ever evolving.
~ Tim
CIDER APPLES
KINGSTON BLACK ES X
Origin: England around 1820
Famous cider apple. Reputed to be the BEST single variety for cider. We found it to be YUCKY. It has potential for blending with sweeter ciders. Either Californians have not developed an English pallet (hopefully never will) or it’s an entirely different cup ‘o tea here in CA. Definitely a spitter if you take a bite.
REDFIELD
CRABAPPLES
CRABAPPLES LJ-LA **
Dolgo, Transcendent, Red, Purple
These little cuties pack a punch! Traditional homestead tree for pickles, jelly, and spicing up sauce. Adds considerable acid and body to hard cider. Fresh eating for the brave!
HEWE’S VIRGINIA CRAB
APPLES
ARKANSAS BLACK MO **
Origin: Benton, Arkansas, around 1870
Possibly a seedling of Winesap with a very deep purple red coloring. Very crisp, coarse flesh with sharp flavor. It is an excellent keeper whose flavor actually improves with some storage. Also a good cider apple.
ART’S APPLE MO **
Origin: Philo, California, 1970’s (or earlier?)
A Local seedling from Art Gowan’s Orchard, down the road apiece. When Art died, the kids named his favorite seedling after him. A late, crisp and tart treat. One of our favorites (Sophia’s and Rita’s absolute numero uno).
ASHMEAD'S KERNAL ES **
Origin: England, 1700
This is what an apple was like three hundred years ago. The fully russetted skin makes a fine nutty package for the intensely flavored flesh. This little apple is still winning taste tests in England, and for good reason. Very good for cider.
ASTRACHAN (RED) EJ **
Origin: Russia/Sweden/England (1814)/U.S. 1835 or so.
The continuing popularity of this apple is amazing. Most people spit this one out as it is very tart and way too early (Late June, some years) for American palates (still eating cherries, apricots, and just starting on peaches) BUT...this apple makes THE best sauce or puree and great pies. It is not crisp and does not keep long. A wonderfully curious anomaly. Amuse your friends and amaze your enemies!
BALDWIN MS *
Origin: Mass., 1874
Flesh firm to coarse. Flavor sweet to crisp. It was once the most planted variety in New England but its reign over the landscape ended in the terrible winter of 1934 in which tens of thousands of trees perished. This gave way to the new king of the day, McIntosh.
BELLE DE BOSKOOP MS **
Origin: Holland, 1852
These large apples are greenish-yellow with a beautiful red-orange blush on sun kissed fruits. Behind the russeted skin is the crisp, dense, tangy, highly aromatic flesh. Great for fresh eating, cooking and adding a complex tart element to fresh or hard cider. A Karen favorite!
BLACK OXFORD UNK*
Origin: Oxford Co. Maine 1787
Can be a dark, dark red nearly black skin. Flesh whitish and firm. Subacidy, firm, moderately juicy. Does not cook well!! Yet John Bunker (Maines premier apple historian and author) claims it makes the very best apple puree to go with his morning breakfast!! Go figure. Have heard it won’t do well in California. Oh well, We are still waiting to find out in ’26.
BLACK TWIG LO ***
Origin: Benton, Arkansas, around 1870
Possibly a seedling of Winesap with a very deep purple red coloring. Very crisp, coarse flesh with sharp flavor. It is an excellent keeper whose flavor actually improves with storage. An excellent cider apple.
BLUE PEARMAIN UNK *
Origin Probably Massachusetts around 1800
Usually large with irregular roundish shape. Striped, reddish with blue blush. Slow to bear—we only have one 6 year old branch and so far no fruit ’26. Reportedly medium firm with sub acidic notes and aromatic (like we like it). Have tasted some very good ones many years ago—so we wait patiently for our own fruit.
BOONTANG LO
Origin: probably Pt. Arena, Ca. but who knows.
Came with a large nursery order back in the 20’s ought. We named it as a juvenile joke and because of it’s extremely zingy bite. Nothing else like it. Not much of a producer and some years next to nada. A rare treat.
BRAEBURN EO *
Origin: New Zealand, 1952
Another great introduction from down under. Crisp, sweet and tart, it has gained many fans. Late season apple good for fresh eating. Makes fabulous pies.
BRAMLEY’S SEEDLING ES **
Origin: England, 1813
From a pip in a pot to England’s favorite cooking apple. The East Bay/Great Britian clatch gets a crazed look in their eyes and starts salivating when this one comes into season. This large green apple has an extreme tart flavor. Great in applesauce, pies and adds a sharp component to a too-sweet cider. We’ve been adding trees for several years…it’s that good
BROWN’S CIDER
BULMER’S NORMAN
CAMPFIELD
CANADIAN REINETTE
MS Origin: Probably France but uncertain.
Large roundish. Pale yellow green. Fairly acidic, firm but not too crisp. Fits what we have except described as covered with russety spots—-haven’t seen that. Wood from young folks in Covelo, Ca many years ago… their mom’s favorite. Well we find it rather flavorless and mostly goes into our juice for the acidic bite. Just have the one grafted tree—-it is rather pretty though.
CHERRY COX MS *
Origin: Denmark, 1950
A “sport” of the famous Cox Orange Pippin, but redder and harvested much later. Flavor nearly as good as its parent, but it keeps a lot longer.
CHISEL JERSEY
CINNAMON SPICE MS *
Origin: Bolinas, Ca. “Discovered” probably in the 1970’s
Named for its cinnamon-like flavor (usually undetectable by us---maybe if you close your eyes and…) A favorite on California’s North Coast. Smallish very red fruit. Stays crisp for a while.
CLIFFORD UNK*
Origin: Virginia around 1998
Below medium in size, depending red with deep red flesh. Kind of mealy. Only had one apple so far by ’26 and most def mealy. Haven’t decided yet if only good for cider—not too promising so far.
COE’S GOLDEN DROP UNK X
Origin: England around 1842
Crisp yellow flesh is juicy and vinous (wine-like). Smallish, but packs a sweet, flavorful punch. Stubborn grower and supplier at our farm and after 20 years we haven’t nailed down harvest dates or harvested more than 40 lbs…but we love the name and recommendation from Michael Rose.
CONNELL RED MA **
Origin: Wisconsin, 1957 but shrouded in uncertainty
The best of the early season fresh eating apples (though maybe rivaled by Kerry Irish Pippin…you decide)! Smaller fruit with a delightfully crisp and refreshing taste and aromatics. Yellowish-white covered with red striping. Our apples do not match historic descriptions and we’re reconsidering its identification.
CORTLAND MS *
Origin: New York, 1915
Oft requested by Mid-Westerners as their favorite, this McIntosh cross does not seem to be as described (tart, tangy flavor, etc.) but is decent most years. Beautiful purplish blush and usually crispy.
COX ORANGE PIPPIN LA *
Origin: England, 1830
Regarded by the English as the finest flavored fresh eating apple. Medium size conical fruit with a dull orange finish. Tart, complex, distinctive flavor and incredible aroma. Great for fresh eating, cooking, pies, and cider.
CRIMSON GOLD LS *
Origin: Humboldt County, California around 1920’s
A recently rediscovered Etters Gem. Tart, crisp, complex, and beautiful to boot! Makes a great fresh cider. Buy for the looks, come back for the taste. Quickly sells out.
CRISPIN
DABINETTE
DUCHESS OF OLDENBERG LJ *
Origin: Russia 1700/England 1817/U.S. 1835
Very early cropper here---a favorite of Blackbirds and Jays for it’s bright red color. Lightly crisp and very fruity. To be eaten right away—does not keep. Originally bought for the name and because it reminded us of Bo Diddly’s beautiful sister who often went on tour (check out the Animals version).
ELLIS BITTERS
ENGLISH GOLDEN RUSSET
ETTER’S GOLD EO *
Origin: Guess who and when
Most years it’s pretty tasty and crisp. Slow to produce for us—thought it was maybe not worth growing here. Revised opinion: got better and became a steady producer over the years ’26
FALL PIPPIN MA *
Origin: Virginia, 1806
An early pippin very similar to Newtown Pippin but coming much earlier in the season. It is a favorite tart green cooking apple.
FIRESIDE MS *
Origin: Minnesota, 1943
A McIntosh descendent and parent of Connell Red. Often large with a definite fiery orange glow. Crispy right off the tree and usually quite tasty with subacidic fruity overtones.
FOXWHELP ES *
Origin: England 1800s
Probably not the original descendent any more, though the name has been carried on by numerous California nurseries and farms (Re: the name). Fun to grow but produces lightly. A bittersharp cider variety that did not turn into a dessert apple at our farm. Definitely for hard cider or someone who digs unusual harsh flavors.
FREYBURG MS *
Origin: New Zealand, 1934
Cox Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious cross (great idea). Trees are still young and the fruit is promising so far. Juicy, aromatic, acidulous, and sugary. A hint of licorice? Bananas? Maybe.
FUJI LS *
Origin: Japan, 1962
We were told in the earlier days that a buyer would buy all the Fujis I could grow so I started grafting over a few trees and ordered some from a nursery. The buyer moved on and we were not enamored with the flavor---but it is definitely a favorite to many pallets. We’ve come to like it more and more as the trees matured. Crisp and not too complex, but pleasing and excellent keeper.
GLOCKENAPFEL LO*
Origin Switzerland then Sweden then to U S in 1939 whew! Kinda bell shaped (glocken means bell in German (or Swiss?). Not much info, but we are enjoying them. Flesh very white, subacid and crisp.
GOLDRUSH LS *
Origin: Perdue-Rutgers-Illinois Co-op, 1992
The freshman in our lineup and we are sure it is going to go far. Flesh is very firm, with a tarty, winey, clean edge and effervescence on the tongue. Most specimens have golden flecks on their skins, hence the name. Great keeper and a customer favorite.
GOLDEN RUSSET ES *
Origin: New York, prior to 1845
An old American cider apple. Fully russeted skin with a sugary dense flesh. Historically this apple was often mentioned and rated higher than the similar Roxbury Russet.
GRAVENSTEIN EA ***
Origin: Germany or Denmark, 1790
An outstanding summer heirloom apple, renowned in the Sebastopol area before the great grape plantings. Don't wait when you see them come in. They don't keep well and will disappear before you know it. Thin skinned, juicy and acidic, the Gravenstein lives up to its reputation as a perfect pie and sauce apple.
GRENADINE MS *
Origin: Humboldt Co., Early 1900’s
Yep, another Etters composition and a (very) pink fleshed creation. This one is quite late compared to Pink Pearl. Only one tree so far but fruit is sharp and pleasing. Beautiful pomegranate like interior. We will probably grow some more.
HANNER’S BEST MS *
Origin: Oregon, 20th Century
A tree given to me by Winkler’s Nursery in the early 90’s was tagged as Hanner’s Best and claimed to be a very large fruit. Apparently from the Hanner Ranch in Oregon (which my neighbor Jim Gowan says he visited in the 80’s—so it probably exists or existed). Sure enough this apple has won the largest apple at the County Fair at least 6 years in a row, especially since a Wolf River grower has stopped entering (whew). Fruit is not too crisp and has a pleasing non-acidic flavor. Been told it cooks well too, we have NOT tried baking it yet. Either you love it or are amazed by it or intimidated by it’s size. Great red color, blocky, and lopsided. There’s more to this story… somewhere… help if you know more!
HAUER PIPPIN NOV or later *
Origin: California, 1890’s
Watsonville’s Hauer Ranch is the birthplace of this fascinating apple. Large, crisp, hard, LATE, juicy, tasty, tart and keeps practically forever. Will reportedly hang on tree until Xmas (I believe it!). Along with the Lady it’s also known as the Xmas Apple.
HIDDEN ROSE MS *
Origin: Oregon, 1980’s
Stories abound about this one. Probably “rediscovered” (so where was it “discovered?”) at the Newell estate in Willamette Valley by Louis Kimzey. The term Hidden Rose® once trademarked but time has expired (30 years?). I used to have to pay a fee to the owner! I could rant and rave about trademarking life forms, but I’ll spare you for now. The apple is smallish with beautiful purply/pink blushed yellow skin and deep pink inside. While not as flavorful as Pink Pearl, it is quite tart and pleasing.