Harvest mid to late September, early October Season mid September through January Quality flesh yellow, firm, tart and moderately juicy, full-flavored and highly aromatic Use highly esteemed dessert apple

Criterion

Harvest October Season October through December Quality sweet flavor, firm texture, very crisp Use fresh-eating, salad, culinary (sauce, pies, baking)

Criterion is a fairly new variety that is descended from Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Winter Banana. We give it good marks and find its mild sweetness reminiscent of Winter Banana. It reportedly does well in the kitchen, as well.

Dayton

Harvest August Season September to October Quality large, crunchy and juicy Use fresh-eating

We don't know much about Dayton, except that it is a large, attractive apple that we found to be a good fresh-eating variety when we tried it for the first time last fall. The taste isn't overwhelming, rather it has a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors, and has a crisp, juicy texture. Don't worry if it is splashed with a significant amount of bright green coloration, as this is not an indication of ripeness. McIntosh lovers should give this one a try.

Duchess

Harvest August Season August-September Quality Excellent flavor with tart overtones Use Jelly, pickling, baking, sauce

Duchess is a very early ripening apple that has been a traditional favorite for baking since it was introduced from Russia in the early 1800's . As a fresh-eating apple it may be a little too tart for some tastes, and it is not usually thought of as a dessert apple. Still, it has an interesting flavor right off of the tree and is an excellent performer in the kitchen. The coloration and shape of Duchess can be very beautiful, with marked striping and perfectly round profile. It once was a popular variety for home use, so there are still a lot of lone trees standing near old farm houses. Ask the grower for Duchess if you don't see it on display (providing it is in season). However, should he or she say "no", then promptly and cheerfully buy a bag of a variety he does have, keeping in mind that it is just not profitable for growers to focus on this variety anymore. As American eating and cooking habits have evolved (some would say "devolved") over the last 30 years, demand for culinary classics like Duchess has plummeted. On the other hand, should he have a few, grab them and pay a little extra for them out of appreciation. Then, since of course none of us have time to bake, pay a visit to an elder citizen in your neighborhood who will know what to do with Duchess apples and be happy to have the company as well as the apples.

Elstar

Harvest late August Season August to October Quality firm, aromatic, tart Use fresh-eating, cooking

Elstar originated in Holland. It is a cross between two stellar dessert varieties, Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. It is very popular in Europe and is at its best as a fresh-eating apple. It may not have a lot of red coloration and the skin may be a little rough, but neither of these effect the quality of the apple. Give it a try. It has a strong following.

Empire

Harvest late September Season October-January Quality medium sized attractive red apple with mild flavor, firm texture. Use fresh-eating, baking

Empire is a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh and combines the best qualities of each. It is firmer and sweeter than McIntosh and keeps longer. It has some of the sweetness of Red Delicious, with much more character. Empire is better for baking than either of its parents. A good all purpose apple.

Fireside

Harvest early October Season October through January Quality balanced sweet and tart flavor Use fresh-eating, sauce, salad

Fireside is a great fresh-eating apple with a great name. Originating from Minnesota, it is mainly seen in northern orchards. It doesn't get as red as McIntosh, Cortland, Empire, Jonathon and other northern varieties when ripe, but rather is splashed with quite a bit of green. This color doesn't affect the flavor, which by the way is excellent. You may notice some peening on the skin, which look tiny little dents. This is not a defect, just part of this apple's interesting character. Minnesota apples certainly have the best names.

Franklin

Harvest late September Season October Quality mild flavored apple with tender, crisp flesh Use fresh-eating

Attractive looking fruit that is the result of a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Mild, pleasant flavor that is much better than Red Delicious but not quite as spicy as McIntosh.