Discovered in Oregon in the 1960s, Airlie Red Flesh looks modest from the outside: small, green-yellow, sometimes with a soft blush and speckled lenticels. Slice it open and the surprise is immediate; a shock of rose-red flesh glowing from within. The color alone would be enough to make it famous, but the flavor seals the deal. Crisp, juicy, and sweet-tart with a hint of strawberry, Airlie Red Flesh tastes like the crunchiest berry you’ve ever eaten. It’s refreshing, playful, and beautiful on the plate.

Airlie Red Flesh also makes whimsical sauce, adds charm to salads and cheese boards, and even holds its hue when sliced for display. Originally a chance seedling later trademarked under another name, this little apple has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive modern heirlooms; vivid proof that beauty and flavor can live happily in the same bite.

• Origin: Airlie, Oregon, 1960s

• Appearance: Small, green-yellow, sometimes blushed pink with white speckles. Flesh is striking rose-red throughout.

• Flavour: Crisp, juicy, and refreshing with sweet-tart berry notes. Hard and snappy when young; tender if left warm or stored too long.

• Keeping: Though striking to look at, this apple has substance. Its texture stays firm and lively when cold, and it keeps remarkably well (up to four months in storage) but still best eaten fresh for its crispness and color.

• Use: Exceptional for fresh eating and slicing; makes vibrant pink sauce and a standout cider. Keeps shape for decorative baking.

Bite in, and the flavor snaps: balanced sweet and tart, crisp yet tender. There’s a freshness, almost floral in tone, with a polite nod of strawberry at the end. Unlike many early apples that fade fast or turn bland, Akane keeps its flavor alive, making it perfect for that first bite when apple season still feels novel.

• Origin: Akane was born in Japan in the 1930s and is a cross between the English Worcester Pearmain and the American Jonathan apple.

• Appearance: This apple is medium in size, round to slightly flattened. Its skin is smooth and usually bathed in vibrant red, sometimes striped, with a yellow-green undertone. The stem shoulders often show a touch of russeting.

• Flavour: Akane strikes a pitch-perfect balance of sweet and sharp. Its flesh is firm, crisp without being crunch‑over‑firm, and juicy. There’s a lively acidity, often highlighted by hints of strawberry or floral brightness, all woven into a refined, English‑style flavor.

• Keeping: This is one of the earliest apples on the block, ripening in early September. It keeps only briefly so is best eaten fresh within a week, though under cold storage you might stretch that to a few weeks.

• Uses: Akane shines for fresh eating! That crisp-sweet-strike makes it a delight straight from the tree. Its texture holds up well for light baking, slices for pies or tarts. It’s also lovely in fresh applications whether sliced on cheese boards, grated into salads, or dipped in nut butter.

Belle de Boskoop is an apple with a huge presence. First discovered in 1856 in the Dutch town that bears its name, it has the kind of old-world character that doesn’t fade with time. It’s tart and snappy when young; the kind of apple that makes you blink and pucker. But give it a few months, and it relaxes into a mellow sweetness that feels almost buttery. That transformation is what makes Belle de Boskoop special: one apple, two personalities.

For bakers, it’s a dream. The flesh stays firm in heat, the flavor deepens under sugar, and the russeted skin gives pies and strudels a rustic perfume. It thrives in damp climates where other apples sulk, which may explain its enduring popularity in the Netherlands and its success here in coastal British Columbia.

If you can wait, Belle de Boskoop will reward you; first with its tart, assertive bite in fall baking, and later with the quiet, complex sweetness of an aged apple enjoyed straight from storage. Either way, it’s unforgettable.

• Origin: Boskoop, Holland, 1856

• Appearance: Large, proud, and irregular in shape; sometimes round, sometimes a little lopsided, always interesting. The skin is yellow-green with a bronze russet wash, blushed with orange-red on the sun-facing side.

• Flavour: Belle de Boskoop starts off assertive; tart, almost citrusy, with bold aromatics that wake up the palate. Over time, the acidity softens and a lovely warmth emerges, developing into a honeyed, nut-like sweetness that makes it a surprisingly elegant eating apple.

• Keeping: Harvested in early October for full tartness or eaten in mid November for a mellower bite. Keeps extremely well, improving through the winter as the sharpness subsides.

• Uses: The Belle truly shines in the kitchen. It’s the apple you want for pies, tarts, crisps, and especially strudel. It’s firm enough to hold structure, tart enough to balance sugar, and aromatic enough to make the whole kitchen smell like autumn. When baked, the acidity translates into brightness, keeping desserts from feeling heavy. And if you can resist eating them too soon, Boskoops transform in storage, turning into rich, aromatic eating apples by mid-winter; an apple that starts bold and finishes smooth.

What makes Blenheim remarkable is the way it develops. Picked early, it is bright and zippy, good for pies and sauce. But let it rest, and the fruit seems to ripen inward, its sharpness softening into a rounded nuttiness that no other apple quite replicates.

And indeed, to bite into a mature Blenheim Orange is to encounter an apple of character: earthy, nutty, substantial, with a flavor that feels old-fashioned in the best possible way. It’s not glossy or showy, but deeply satisfying, the kind of apple that makes you slow down and pay attention. Yes, it will bake beautifully, and yes, it makes fine sauce and cider. But if you want to know why this apple has endured nearly three centuries, you have to eat it fresh, slowly, and with appreciation.

• Origin: Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, 1740

• Appearance: Large, broad, and unmistakably oblate with more flattened than round appearance with smooth green skin that ripens to yellow. On the sun-exposed side it glows with an orange-red blush, making it look as though it’s been painted for an autumn still life.

• Flavour: Starts off sweet with a tart snap when young, then mellows with age. By November, the sharpness fades to reveal the apple’s signature flavor: a deep, nutty richness rare in the apple world.

• Texture: Coarse-grained, somewhat dry, and reminiscent of a russet. When it’s fresh it is quite crisp and juicy!

• Season: Ready for baking in September; best for fresh eating from October through December. Keeps well in storage.

• Use: A true multi-purpose apple. Blenheim Orange excels in pies, where its nutty flavor adds a richness few apples can match. It cooks down beautifully into sauce with a warm, rounded sweetness, and it presses into a distinctive cider with earthy depth. For those who appreciate its rustic texture, it’s also a fine apple to eat out of hand especially as it matures toward winter.

Bramley’s Seedling is an apple with presence. Massive, pale green, and often blushed with red, it hangs heavy on the branch like it knows exactly what it’s here for. Bite into one fresh and you’ll see why it’s a legend. It is crisp to the point of snapping, fiercely tart, and full of clean, bracing juice. It’s not a polite apple; it’s one that demands attention, with the kind of intensity that makes you wake up and grin.

But its true brilliance reveals itself in the kitchen. Heat transforms Bramley’s sharpness into something remarkable: a silky, tangy puree that’s the backbone of perfect pies, strudels, and sauces. Its flavor stays bright even after baking, bringing life and structure to every spoonful. Born in England in 1809 and still beloved today, Bramley’s Seedling remains the gold standard for pie apples; a bold, unapologetic classic that turns simple ingredients into something extraordinary.

• Appearance: Immense, broad, and slightly flattened, Bramley’s Seedling looks more like a grapefruit than an apple. The skin is a pale, matte green, with faint red streaking on the sun side late in the season. Its size alone sets it apart; each apple feels substantial in the hand, with a solid, heavy weight.

• Flavour: Exceptionally tart and assertive. Bramley’s has one of the highest acid levels of any apple, with a sharpness so bright it borders on citrus. While not complex in flavor, it’s vivid and direct, delivering clean, bracing intensity.

• Keeping: At its best when picked late and baked soon. It can be stored briefly, though the skin tends to turn greasy over time.

• Use: The definitive English cooking apple. Its low dry matter and high juice content allow it to melt into a rich, cohesive filling that defines traditional British pies and crumbles. Its tartness holds strong through baking, making it ideal for sweet applications that need contrast. The large fruit size means fewer apples per pie, and the skin peels away easily in clean spirals. Though far too sharp for most people to eat fresh, it’s unmatched in the oven.

Transparent is the apple that taught us not all fruit is meant to be eaten straight off the tree. Bite into one ripe, and you’ll be disappointed; it turns brown in seconds, goes mealy in minutes, and leaves you wondering what all the fuss was about. But give this apple a little heat, and it becomes something transcendent.

In sauce, it melts like butter into the silkiest puree you’ll ever taste; smooth, fragrant, and just tart enough to make your mouth water. Sliced and dried, it’s a chewy, lemony snack with a tangy punch. And tucked into a pie, Transparent holds its shape just long enough before collapsing into layers of sweet-tart filling that need almost no sugar at all.

It’s an early and generous bearer, arriving in August when apples are the last thing on your mind. One moment the tree looks ordinary; the next, the fruit balloons almost overnight into pale yellow globes, demanding your attention.

• Appearance: A large, round, bright yellow beauty with porcelain skin sprinkled in bubbly green dots.

• Flavour: Sharp, tangy, and fleeting. Not built for eating out of hand.

• Texture: Soft and quick to bruise, but fantastic once cooked.

• Season: Early August.

• Use: Supreme in sauce, fantastic dried, and a secret weapon in pies.

Discovery isn’t a show-off. It doesn’t have the pedigree of a Blenheim Orange or the drama of a Belle de Boskoop. What it offers instead is immediacy; being one of the first eating apples of the season, and a one full of character. Bred in post-war England and released in the early 1960s, it quickly became the apple that marked the turning of the season. When the first Discoveries blush red against the leaves, you know apple season has begun.

Its charm lies in its honesty. Bite into one and you’ll find simple pleasure: crisp, juicy, refreshing. That flash of red-stained flesh and the faint perfume of strawberries are reminders that flavor doesn’t have to be complicated to be perfect. It’s an apple meant to be eaten with enthusiasm, not studied. By the time the later varieties arrive, Discovery has already had its moment. And for those few weeks, it’s everything you want an early apple to be.

• Origin: Essex, England, 1940s (a chance seedling of Worcester Pearmain)

• Appearance: Medium-sized and round, sometimes slightly flattened, with yellow-green skin blushed deep crimson on the sun side. The color varies from gentle red wash to full, glossy scarlet. The flesh is pale cream, though often tinged pink just under the skin especially in warm years or when the fruit ripens in full sun.

• Flavour: Discovery has a bright, refreshing flavor from it’s intense acidity; crisp and juicy, with a fine-grained bite and a tang that leans toward strawberry and citrus. It’s not overly complex, but it’s lively and clean, an apple that tastes like the start of something good.

• Keeping: One of the very first apples to ripen and often ready mid September. Keeps only a couple of weeks and should be eaten while still young and fresh.

• Use: Discovery is made for eating straight off the tree. It’s one of the apples that breaks the long spell between berry season and the first rush of autumn fruit. Chilled, it’s crisp and mouth-watering. Sliced, it holds its shape and adds color and zest to salads or cheese plates. In the kitchen, it cooks quickly, making delicate, lightly tart sauce, and it’s occasionally used in cider for its clean aromatics and brisk acidity. But really, Discovery’s true role is to be eaten fresh before anything else is ready.

Few apples can stop you mid-stride in an orchard, but Golden Russet does. On the shady side it’s olive green and modest, but where the sun strikes, it turns radiant, smooth and golden, brushed with copper and peach, dotted with tiny ivory lenticels like scattered stars. The flesh inside is pure white and crisp, the flavor concentrated and honeyed. Bite into a ripe one and you get a rush of pear, fig, and dried apricot, rich, spicy, and deeply satisfying. It’s sweet but never simple, the kind of sweetness that carries weight and warmth.

Golden Russet is an apple that improves with time. Picked in October, it’s good; by December it’s transcendent. The sugars deepen, the spice comes forward, and its texture holds like polished wood, firm, dense, and faintly rough skinned, as if reminding you it’s built to last. It’s a brilliant eating apple through winter, but its true glory lies in the press. Cider makers call it the “Champagne of cider apples,” prized for its balance, depth, and long, clean finish. A good Russet cider can taste like autumn bottled, crisp, peachy, and elegant.

For centuries, Golden Russet has quietly outperformed louder, redder varieties, and though it fell from favor during the age of glossy supermarket fruit, it’s finding its way back. Once you’ve had one, you understand why: this apple does everything better than most apples do anything.

• Origin: Upstate New York, 1840s

• Appearance: Golden green on the shady side, burnished bronze and peach on the sunny side, with rough russeted skin and white lenticels. The effect is warm and luminous, like an orchard sunrise.

• Flavour: Intensely sweet with complex notes of pear, fig, spice, and dried apricot. Unripe fruit carries a faint green pepper tang.

• Keeping: Excellent. If you can wait, this apple is best eaten from December through late winter. Ideal for cider pressing after several months of storage.

• Texture: Hard and crunchy with just enough juice to refresh without dripping. The skin is slightly rough, almost velvety like an apricot.

• Use: A world-class cider apple and exceptional fresh eating apple. Produces rich, full-bodied cider, sweet or hard, with balance and finesse. Outstanding fresh or sliced with cheese. Keeps for months, improving in flavor as it ages.

The Gravenstein stands out because most early season apples are forgettable; soft, mealy, and fleeting. The Grav, in contrast, is vivid, fragrant, and full of character. It’s an apple that doesn’t just announce the coming of fall; it practically demands celebration.

• Origin: Denmark (possibly Italy), 1600s

• Appearance: Bold and unmistakable, with streaks of red and copper flames over a yellow-green base. Often large, slightly ribbed at the flower end, with skin that feels waxy when fresh but can turn greasy after storage.

• Flavour: Sweet-tart with a perfumed, berrylike fragrance. Juicier and more aromatic than most early season apples.

• Texture: Remarkably crisp yet never hard when fresh. Extremely tender and prone to bruising. Softens quickly after picking.

• Season: An early season apple, ripening in early September.

• Use: Eaten fresh, they can be delicious straight from the tree and for a week or so afterwards, but they do not keep well. Outstanding for cooking. Gravensteins make superb sauce, richly flavored pies (if used before they soften), and excellent dried apples. Also prized for fresh cider, particularly as one of the earliest of the year.

Jonagold is a modern classic with an old soul. Bred at Cornell University in 1968, it represents one of the true triumphs of American apple breeding; an intentional marriage between Jonathan’s spirited tartness and Golden Delicious’s round, honeyed sweetness. It was once called  “one of the great achievements of modern apple breeding,” and he’s right.

You can taste both parents immediately. From Golden Delicious, Jonagold inherits that easy sweetness and honey perfume. From Jonathan, it gets brightness, color, and a touch of spice. The result is an apple that feels joyful, generous, and unfussy. It’s better in the oven than either parent and one of the most reliable dessert apples around.

Jonagold never quite caught on in North America, perhaps because it lacks the marketing sheen of newer varieties. But in Europe, it’s a star; an everyday staple prized for its reliable flavor and versatility. Here, it’s a quiet success story: a reminder that sometimes the best things in the orchard are the ones that simply do everything well.

• Origin: Geneva, New York, 1968 (a cross of Jonathan and Golden Delicious)

• Appearance: Large, round, and showy. Jonagold has deep red blushes over a golden-yellow base, often speckled with small freckles. The skin is smooth, taut, and glossy, giving the apple a detailed and almost lacquered look.

• Flavour: A lively duet of sweet and tart, perfectly balanced. The sweetness leans toward honey and ripe pear, while the tartness is bright and floral; thanks to its Jonathan parent. It’s not a complicated flavor, but a deeply satisfying one: straightforward, clean, and refreshingly juicy.

• Keeping: Harvested from mid-September through October. Best enjoyed fresh through the fall. Jonagold doesn’t store particularly well beyond a couple of months, though its flavor remains excellent while it lasts.

• Uses: A standout in the kitchen and an excellent all-purpose apple. In baking, it holds its shape beautifully and delivers rich, balanced flavor to pies, tarts, and crisps. It’s just as good out of hand, and it makes some wonderful dried apple slices; tart, raisiny, and fragrant, with a trace of spice and ginger that develops as it dries. Its bright acidity and full juice also lend depth to ciders, adding a cheerful lift to blends.

Born in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and released to the public in 2012, Salish is a true BC apple; it's modern, bright, and full of apple character. It’s a cross between Splendour and Gala, bred at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, where its creators set out to make something crisp, aromatic, and undeniably local. They succeeded. Salish is beautifully balanced: lively and juicy, with that perfect sweet-tart snap that makes it impossible to stop eating after one slice. 

It’s an apple that shines later in the fall, a mid October harvest that keeps well through winter. Salish doesn’t overwhelm with size or sweetness; it’s an all around good eating apple, one that pairs as easily with sharp cheddar as it does with a handful of walnuts. It’s lovely out of hand, but equally at home baked into crisps or tucked into tarts, where its acidity lifts the richness around it. 

Origin: Summerland, British Columbia, 2012 (a cross of Splendour × Gala)

Appearance: Medium, round and symmetrical, with a red to burgundy blush over a yellow base. The skin is smooth, thin, and glossy, sometimes showing faint russeting near the stem.

Flavour: Crisp, aromatic, and balanced. Sweetness and acidity share equal footing, giving a fresh, clean taste with subtle floral and pear-like notes. Firm, juicy, and fine-grained, with a refreshing crunch.

Keeping: Typically harvested in October. Keeps well for several months under cool storage.  

Use: Excellent for eating fresh, where its flavor and texture shine. Also performs well in pies, tarts, and muffins, adding brightness and structure without turning mushy. Works beautifully with sharp cheeses and roasted meats.

Born in Summerland, BC, in 1936, Spartan was one of the earliest apples to emerge from a formal Canadian breeding program. It was meant to capture the crisp sweetness of McIntosh while improving its firmness and storage life. And it succeeded. It’s bright, friendly, and consistent, with a flavor that feels familiar even to those who don’t know its name.

Spartan is the kind of apple that’s easy to love. There’s no mystery to it, no acquired taste, just a fresh snap, a burst of juice, and that classic sweet-tart balance that reminds you what apples are supposed to taste like. Over time it softens, but even then, it stays pleasant, gentle, sweet, and quietly aromatic. It doesn’t demand patience or fussing; it’s the reliable friend in the fruit bowl, the one you reach for without thinking.

It may not be the rarest or most exotic, but Spartan earns its keep through sheer good nature. It’s bright and tidy but proves that honest, balanced flavor can be just as memorable as all the complexity in the world.

Origin: Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, 1936 (McIntosh × Newtown Pippin)

Appearance: Medium-sized and classically handsome, Spartan is smooth-skinned and deeply red, often shaded toward maroon with a faint yellow-green base. In the right light, it glows like a polished cherry. The flesh inside is snow-white but sometimes blushing faintly pink beneath the skin, and it holds its crispness beautifully when freshly picked.

Flavour: Spartan is bright, sweet-tart, and clean, with subtle notes of berries, melon, and cider, it’s a cheerful apple that never takes itself too seriously. When first picked, the flavor pops with crisp juiciness and a balanced tang. After a few weeks in storage, it mellows, the sweetness rising as the edges soften.

Keeping: Ripens in early October on the coast. Keeps for three to four months in cool storage, though its bright flavor is best in the first half of that window.

Uses: Spartan is first and foremost an eating apple. It’s dependable, juicy, and ready for a pocket or lunch bag. It’s also lovely in sauce, where its berry-like notes come through with a pink tint. In baking, it behaves well but prefers gentle heat, keeping its shape in rustic tarts and turnovers. It’s also a fine apple for adding freshness and aroma to blends to apple juice.

Winesap is the classic American apple, dark red, sturdy, and brimming with old-fashioned charm. It’s the apple that once filled barrels on riverboats and baskets at southern markets, famous for its rich, vinous flavor that hints of cider and spice. Bite into one and you get a rush of sweet-tart juice, bright and full-bodied, with a faintly wine-like aroma that gave the variety its name. The flesh is firm, juicy, and pleasantly crisp, the kind of texture that makes a clean, satisfying snap.

Discovered in New Jersey before 1800, Winesap became a fixture across the United States through the 19th century and still earns its place in any serious orchard today. It’s beautifully versatile: excellent out of hand, lively in pies and crisps, and an absolute star in the cider press. The tree is hardy and consistent, bearing generous crops year after year. Winesap’s balance of flavor, texture, and keeping ability made it a household name for generations, and even now, its deep color and robust character feel timeless.

• Origin: New Jersey, United States, before 1800

• Appearance: Medium-sized, round, and richly red with a slight bloom and occasional greenish-yellow streaks near the stem. The skin is smooth and firm.

• Flavour: Sweet and tart with a distinct wine-like tang. Notes of berry and spice appear as it matures, giving it an elegant depth.

• Texture: Crisp, dense, and juicy, maintaining structure whether eaten fresh or cooked.

• Use: Excellent for fresh eating, baking, and cider. Known for its balance and ability to hold flavor under heat.

• Keeping: Very good; stores up to five months in refrigeration while retaining its crispness and flavor.

Discovered in Indiana in 1876, Winter Banana is the kind of apple that wins you over before you even taste it. Its waxy yellow skin glows like polished fruit in an old still-life painting, blushed pink on the sun side and dotted with freckles. It’s large, dense, and aromatic, with a faint perfume that hints at banana but never quite insists on it. The flavor is crisp, sweet, and balanced, with subtle tropical notes that fade into a mild lemon richness as it ripens. It’s a beautiful apple to look at and a satisfying one to bite into.

Winter Banana’s charm is as much about utility as it is about looks. It grows reliably and produces generous crops of big, handsome fruit that keep surprisingly well for a late-season variety. Good for eating fresh in early winter, it also cooks well, holding its shape in tarts and crisps. Though its flavor softens under heat, its texture makes it a fine partner in baking. Beyond its culinary uses, Winter Banana plays an important role in orchards as a prolific pollinator for other apples. In short, it’s one of those rare varieties that manages to be both ornamental and practical; a stunner that earns its keep.

• Origin: Cass County, Indiana, 1876

• Appearance: Large and golden yellow with a pink blush on the sunny side and scattered dark freckles. The skin is smooth, waxy, and thin.

• Flavour: Crisp, juicy, and aromatic with a balanced sugar-acid profile. Notes of banana, citrus, and soft spice appear as it matures.

• Texture: Dense and firm when first picked, softening over time while remaining juicy.

• Use: Excellent for fresh eating through early winter. Suitable for light baking and sauces, though its flavor can mellow under heat.

• Keeping: Keeps up to four months in cool storage; thin skin means it benefits from careful handling.

Every year, Wynoochee Early is the apple that sneaks up on you. The orchard is still in berry mode, but suddenly there they are: striped globes of red and gold, dangling heavy and demanding attention. Bite into one and you taste both summer and fall in the same mouthful. And unlike most early apples that vanish before you’ve had a chance to celebrate them, Wynoochee sticks around; an early harvest apple that doesn’t just mark the start of apple season, but carries you well into it.

• Origin: A true local gem, Wynoochee Early was discovered as a chance seedling near Aberdeen, Washington, in the early 20th century.

• Appearance: This apple is a stunner. Large and round, sometimes a bit flattened, its skin sports red stripes and streaks over a creamy yellow base; think of a sunrise captured in fruit.

• Flavour & Texture: Wynoochee Early manages to pack a full-bodied punch for an early-season apple; it’s juicy, crisp, and loaded with flavor. Taste-wise, it balances sweet and tart notes with a refreshing zing.

• Season & Keeping Ability: This is one of our earliest ripeners, often ready in mid- to late August and perfect for jumping into apple season while it's still summer. What’s more, unlike most early apples that vanish in hours, Wynoochee Early keeps remarkably well: up to three to four months in refrigeration.

• Uses: Versatility is Wynoochee’s superpower. Eaten fresh, it’s crisp and refreshing, a perfect hand fruit on a warm August day. In pies, it holds its shape surprisingly well for an early apple, giving you a filling that’s both juicy and structured. Cook it down for sauce and you’ll find it melts into a smooth, tangy-sweet puree that needs little extra sugar. Sliced and dried, the Wynoochee has tart-sweet chew. And in cider, Wynoochee Early is prized for its bright acidity and aromatics, lending a refreshing edge to blends at a time of year when the cider press is just getting warmed up. Few summer apples can wear so many hats so well.