Our Apples

Apple Varieties

October 1st: We have Honeycrisp, Prima, Cortland, and Haralson apples available in the barn. For YOU-pick we have Haralson, Cortland, and Honeycrisp apples!  Remember; to pick an apple twist and lift up!  Use two hands!  Leave the apples you don't want on the tree!  Visit often for the latest information. See you soon!

This table shows the apple varieties we grow, the AVERAGE picking dates, and some of their characteristics, uses, and storage times.

Variety &
General Harvest Dates

Characteristics

Uses

Storage

Zestar

Late August to early September

New apple variety developed by the University of Minnesota

High quality eating, pies, sauce

Aug. – Sept.

Chestnut crab

Early September

Large crabapple, crisp, firm, highly flavored

Eating

Sept.

Sweet Sixteen

Mid- September

Medium to large size, colored by stripes and solid wash of rosy red. High sugar, moderately acid, crisp, and fine texture.

Eating, pie, sauce

Sept. – Oct.

McIntosh

First half of September

Medium size, nearly solid red. High quality for eating, Rich flavor, but soft when cooked.

Eating, pie, sauce, baking

Sept. – Oct.

Honeycrisp

Mid to late September

Red, mottled yellow background, extremely crisp & juicy. Excellent, well-balanced, aromatic flavor.

Eating, sauce, pie

Sept. – March

Cortland

Mid September to mid October

Medium size, attractive red. White flesh similar to McIntosh. Holds flesh color well in salad.

Eating pie, sauce, baking, salad

Sept. – Jan.

Haralson

Late September to early October

Medium size, attractive red. Very popular, tart juicy apple for eating and cooking.

Fresh eating, pie, sauce, baking, freezing

Oct. – March

Honeygold

Early October

Medium to large size, golden to yellow green. Flesh is crisp, yellow juicy. Flavor similar to Golden Delicious.

Fresh eating, pie, sauce, freezing

Oct. – Feb.

Regent

Early to mid October

Medium size. Bright red obscure stripes. Flesh is crisp and juicy.

Fresh eating, pie, sauce, baking, freezing

Oct. – April

Keepsake

Mid to late October

Small to medium with irregular angular sides, red. Light yellow fine textured flesh, hard and crisp. Store under humid conditions.

Fresh eating, pie, sauce.

Oct. - April

Macoun

Late September to early October

Excellent dessert apple. High quality. White flesh. Firm & juicy.

Fresh eating, baking, sauce.

Sept. – Jan.

 

Apple Recipes

We have lots of great apple recipes from our visitors. Check out what other people are making with our apples.
Apple Recipes

Apple Health

Read facts and information about why an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Apple Facts

Browse these interesting tid-bits and improve your apple trivia!

  • Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
  • A medium apple is about 80 calories
  • Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
  • Apples are a member of the rose family.
  • Americans eat about 19.6 pounds or about 65 fresh apples every year.
  • 25% of an apple’s volume is air. That is why they float.
  • It takes energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
  • One of George Washington’s hobbies was to prune his apple trees.
  • Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
  • Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
  • It takes 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
  • The science of apple growing is called pomology.
  • Apples harvested from a dwarf apple tree can fill 3 bushel boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.