Wynoochee
Wynoochee: July-Aug
Crisp and flavorful with a very thin skin.Rich sweet tart flavor. Eat it fresh out of hand or bake with it, no need to peel the thin skin
Pair with Blue Cheese, Aged Cheddar or Gouda
Gravenstein
Gravenstein: July-Aug
Tangy and sweet with a honey-like fragrance.
One of the best baking apples around. Enjoy them in tarts, pies, cobblers and sauces, or roast alongside chicken and pork. Also goes well with mushrooms and onions.
Pair with Parmesan, Manchego, and Aged Gouda.
Dazzle
Dazzle: August
Sweet and delicate, with a crunch like watermelon.
Best for eating out of hand, with your favorite nut butters, in a green or chopped salad, or on a turkey sandwich.
Pair with Cheddar, Blue Cheese, and Manchego
Zestar
Zestar: Aug-Sept
Sweet, tart, and crunchy with a hint of brown sugar.
Enjoy raw out of hand or in a green salad, baked into muffins or pies with brown sugar and cinnamon, or roasted with chicken or pork.
Pair with Stilton, Aged Cheddar, and Mimolette
Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl: Aug-Sept
Good combination of sweet, tart, and crunch, with a gorgeous rosy pink flesh.
Enjoy fresh in hand, in salads, on a cheese plate, or dipped in almond butter. Holds shape and color very well when baked so it is excellent for galettes, tarts, or applesauce.
Pair with Parmesan, Asiago, or Aged Gouda
Sunrise
Tango
Tango: Aug-Sept
Equal parts sweet and tart with great acidity and a hint of spice. Nice and crunchy.
Best for eating raw as a snack, in a slaw, or salad, or on a cheese plate. May also be used for baking.
Pair with aged Gouda, Goat Cheddar, or Manchego.
Akane
Akane: Aug-Sept
Dense flesh and a little juicy. Mildly sweet and a little sharp with hints of berries and wine. Good for eating fresh, but excellent for baking, drying, and preserves. Use in a pie with brown sugar, make into applesauce, or stuff and roast them.
Pair with Blue Cheese, Feta, or Queso fresco
Pair with aged Gouda, Goat Cheddar, or Manchego.
Honeycrisp
Honeycrisp: Early Sept
Crisp and aromatic with a fairly good balance of sweet and tart.
Excellent eaten raw. Try in a slaw or salad. Holds flavor when baked, and makes very good applesauce
Pair with Oregon Blue, Brie, or Gruyere
Jonagold
Jonagold: Mid Sept
Crisp, juicy, and creamy-sweet. Notes of honey, and a little tart too.
Use it in sweet baked goods, such as pies, tarts, muffins, applesauce, jams, and apple butter. Also goes well with pork.
Pair with Mascarpone, Fontina, or Labne
Ambrosia
Ambrosia: Mid Sept
Juicy, sweet, and with a hint of pear. Crisp, fine grained, and does not brown quickly.
Eat fresh in hand, add to salads and slaws, pile thin slices on a turkey panini, or bake into a tart as they hold their shape and flavor well when cooked.
Pair with Brie, Cream Cheese or Cheddar
Liberty
Liberty: Mid-Late Sept
Sweet-tart, juicy and crisp, with a note of wine. Best eaten just after picking.
Enjoy fresh in hand, in chicken or tuna salad, made into applesauce, or baked into pies, breads, and tarts.
Pair with Mizithra, Blue Cheese, or Cheddar
Cox’s Orange Pippin
Cox’s Orange Pippin: Sept-Oct
Aromatic and balanced sweet-tart flavor with notes of spice, honey, and mango. The seeds will often rattle inside the apple when ripe.
Eat them out of hand to enjoy their unique flavor. Traditionally used for cooking and baking. Make a chunky sauce for roasted pork turkey, or duck, or bake into a pie, crisp or cobbler.
Pair with Aged Cheddar, Gouda, or Havarti
Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious: Sept-Oct
Sweet juicy flesh with a tender skin that doesn’t require peeling. Sweeter when grown in cool climates, with notes of honey.
May be eaten fresh, but we like them for baking. Try them in pies, crumbles, sauce, and apple butter. Also good dried or for juice.
Pair with Camembert, Welsh Cheddar, or Manchego.
Cosmic Crisp
Cosmic Crisp: Sept-Oct
Very crisp, sweet, and acidic.
Best for eating raw out of hand. Also try it in a green or chicken salad, on a club sandwich, or juiced.
Pair with Caveman Blue, Welsh Cheddar, and Chevre
Kanzi
Kanzi: Sept-Oct
Balanced sweet and tart flavors, with an effervescent quality. Very juicy.
Best for fresh eating, in salads and salsas, and on a cheese board. May also be used for pies and tarts as they keep their shape when baking.
Pair with Cambozola, Feta, or Provolone
Cortland
Cortland: Sept-Oct
Incredibly juicy and crisp with a sweet-tart flavor. Best eaten fresh off the tree, as the flavor and crispness will fade with long storage. Since it is slow to brown, it is excellent in salads and cheese plates. Also good for juicing and apple sauce.
Pair with Chevre, Feta, or Roquefort
Gala
Gala: Sept-Oct
Sweet and floral flavor with a thin skin and almost creamy flesh. Choose an apple with more red for a sweeter flavor.
Best enjoyed raw in a salad or salsa. Slice thin and serve on a sandwich, burger, or panini.
Pair with Cheddar, Swiss, or Chevre
McIntosh
McIntosh: Sept-Oct
Crisp and very juicy with a sweet-tangy flavor and a hint of wine that is often lost in storage. Keep refrigerated to prevent mealiness and loss of flavor. Excellent for juicing and sweet cider, baking, and applesauce.
Pair with Feta, Sharp Cheddar, or Roquefort
Mutsu
Mutsu: Sept-Oct
Aromatic and coarse flesh with a tart-sweet flavor and a hint of spice. Eat them fresh out of hand, in salads, or on a cheese plate. Good for saucing, baking and roasting with all kinds of meats, fish, and mushrooms.
Pair with Gouda, Gruyere, or Taleggio
Orleans Reinette
Orleans Reinette: Mid-Oct
Sweet and citrusy with a dry, crunchy flesh and rough skin.
This apple holds its shape well when cooked, making it excellent for baking. Try it in pies or season with cinnamon and sugar and bake whole.
Pair with Havarti, Swiss, and Brie
Autumn Glory
Autumn Glory: Oct-Nov
Sweet, firm, crunchy, and very juicy. Tastes like sweet cider. Low in acid.
Very good raw or in baking. Serve with charcuterie, in salads, or just out of hand. Tasty in pies and muffins too. Also good juiced in apple sangria or with whiskey.
Pair with Stilton, Aged Cheddar, or Camembert
Opal
Opal: Oct-Nov
Soft sweet flesh with a slight tart finish. Hints of pear and banana.
Opals don’t brown quickly, so are excellent for fresh eating. Also good in salads, on sandwiches, or in salsas and chutneys.
Pair with Chevre, young Goudas, or a Double Cream Brie
Sugarbee
Sugarbee: Oct-Nov
Crispy, firm, and very sweet.
Eat raw out of hand, baked into pies and galettes, or in salads, salsas, and slaws.
Pair with Smoked Gouda, Aged Cheddar, or Mimolette
Arkansas Black
Arkansas Black: Oct-Nov
Deep purple and somewhat waxy skin, with an aromatic sweet-tart flesh that softens with storage. Not really great for eating raw. Perfect for baking, roasting, sauteing, and applesauce; or juice them for ciders and jelly.
Pair homemade cider with Double Cream Brie, Lamb Chopper, or Caveman Blue
Smitten
Smitten: Oct-Dec
Firm and crisp, with an excellent balance of sweet and acid. This is a staff favorite!
Enjoy fresh out of hand, or dipped in peanut or almond butter. Holds up well in baking, or roast with chicken or pork.
Pair with Jarlsberg, Muenster, or fried Halloumi
Rosalynn
Rosalynn: Oct-Dec
Sweet-tart, firm, and crisp with floral notes and a hint of cherry.
Best eaten raw out of hand, in fruit or chopped salads and slaw. May also be roasted with chicken or added to breakfast sausage. Bakes well in pies and turnovers.
Pair it with Provolone, Cheddar, and Fontina
Cameo
Cameo: Oct-Dec
Dense and crisp flesh with a good balance of sweet and tart. Notes of both honey and citrus. Good for fresh eating, sandwiches, salads, and snacking. Sweetness is enhanced by cooking, so try them roasted with chicken or pork, in applesauce, or on pizza.
Pair with Goat Cheddar, Colby, and Gruyere
Braeburn
Braeburn: Nov
Crisp, sweet and juicy with subtle hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Eat raw out of hand or on a cheese plate. Excellent stuffed and baked, roasted with poultry, or baked into pies, muffins, and tarts.
Pair with Camembert, Edam, or Monterey Jack
Piñata
Piñata: Nov-Dec
Crisp and sweet with notes of pineapple and vanilla.
Eat them fresh out of hand, toss them in a chopped salad or on a sandwich. Also good in a stirfry, or baked into pies and crisps.
Pair with Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Feta
Jazz
Jazz: Nov-Dec
Dense and juicy, with a sweet tart flavor and a hint of pear.
Great for baking, holds up well stuffed and roasted, baked into pies, breads and muffins. Also good raw or in salads.
Pair with Goat Brie, Gouda, or Cheddar.
Fuji: Nov-Dec
Sweet-tart with thick skin, dense flesh, and mild acid.
Great for eating raw! Fujis also work well for baking, roasting, sauces, and apple butter.
Pair with Gorgonzola, Fontina, or Havarti cheeses
Pink Lady/Cripps Pink
Pink Lady/Cripps Pink: Nov-Dec
Sweet and tart with notes of honey. Firm and crisp flesh.
Great for eating raw out of hand. Browns slowly, so perfect for a cheese board, in salads or slaws. Good for applesauce or pies.
Pair with Monterey Jack, Swiss, or Aged Cheddar
Granny Smith
Granny Smith: Dec-Jan
Very tart with a thick skin and dense flesh.
Granny Smiths are the quintessential baking apple! Enjoy in pies, crisps, and cobblers. Roast with pork or chicken, or dip raw slices in almond butter or homemade caramel, or juice for cider.
Pair with Gorgonzola, Feta or Asiago
See our original apple recipes!
We develop our recipes in our own LifeSource test kitchen, where we make, photograph, and taste each delicious creation. Our recipes feature ingredients available at LifeSource for your shopping convenience!
