Current Varieties | Future Varieties | Our Suggestions
This Year's Apple Varieties
Maine-ly Apples has 1645 apple trees and 27 pear trees. We grow 40 different varieties of apples, which range from the Maine favorite McIntosh to antique British cider apples as well as classic English desert apples and all the latest popular varieties that can be grown in Maine such as the Honeycrisp and Snowsweet. The varieties that are in production for this year are listed below by their approximate picking dates. Those listed in red are available for pick your own. Clicking on a variety name will open a description in a new window.
- August
- Jerseymac – An early McIntosh type that has a medium firm texture and is semi-sweet. Makes great applesauce.
- Williams Pride – Dark red, firm, juicy, slightly spicy.
- September
- Zestar – High quality early season crisp, juicy dessert apple developed by the University of Minnesota, the people who brought you Honeycrisp.
- Paulared – An early, tasty Cortland cross.
- Prima – An excellent dessert apple. Sometimes called the "spice apple."
- Jonamac – McIntosh and Jonathan cross; a dark red apple that is firm, crisp, and on the tart side.
- McIntosh – The classic Maine favorite.
- Cortland – A traditional apple that is great for cooking. Has a white flesh that resists browning.
- Honeycrisp – The increasingly popular, large sized eating apple. Lives up to the name.
- Gala – A New Zealand apple that is crisp, dense, and mildly sweet.
- Late September / October
- Macoun – A McIntosh and Jersey Black cross; a juicy, low acid apple.
- Empire – Medium sized, dark red with firm red flesh, stores well.
- Liberty – A Macoun cross eating apple, it is also good for cooking and cider.
- Wolf River – Traditional, very large apple that is great for cooking.
- Fameuse – An antique apple that is parent of the McIntosh; called the "snow apple."
- Spencer – A McIntosh and Golden Delicious cross. Good for both eating and cooking.
- Golden Delicious – Pale yellow apple, mild and sweet.
- Jonagold – A Jonathan and Golden Delicious cross that is Europe's most popular apple; excellent dessert apple.
- Red Delicious – The traditional eating apple. Deep red in color with a distinctive shape.
- Idared – Late maturing variety; Idareds keep extremely well and actually develop a better taste during storage.
- Northern Spy – A traditional, firm apple that is great for cooking.
- Suncrisp – A golden apple with red blush; ripens in the late fall apple and is very crisp.
- Available in limited quantities in 2011
- Ginger Gold – A chance seeding from Lovingston, VA.
- Valstar – Sweet-tart, good for sauce.
- Cameo – A chance seedling from Dryden, WA.
- Fuji – The #1 apple in Japan; sweet and crisp with a dense flesh.
- Melrose – State Apple of Ohio; very fine desert apple.
- Spartan – A McIntosh and Newton Pippen cross.
- Cox Orange Pippen – English apple from 1825; excellent dessert apple with a unique color.
- Sansa – Another apple developed in Japan that is good for eating and also keeps well.
- Smokehouse – 19th Century apple from Pennsylvania that is good for cooking and stores well.
- Snowsweet – Product of the University of Minnesota.
Upcoming Varieties
In 2007 we planted 193 new trees. Some of these trees represent varieties that we already have, but we also planted some varieties that are new for us. These trees should bear fruit in the next few years.
- Ginger Gold – Golden Delicious type, high quality early season dessert apple.
- Valstar – Early season European apple with sweet-tart flavor.
- Cameo – A new variety that is crisp, juicy, has a sweet tart flavor and has outstanding storage quality.
- Fuji – A fine grained, sweet apple with a very good storage life; the most popular apple in Japan.
- Melrose – The state apple of Ohio ripens later in the season, excellent for cooking and eating, stores very well. A Jonathan and Red Delicious cross.
- Spartan – A British Columbia cross of McIntosh and Newton Pippin, ripens after McIntosh with all the same snappy flavor.
- Cox Orange Pippin – An antique English variety with an intriguing aroma and balanced flavor, considered the finest dessert apple grown.
In 2008 we planted the following varieties:
- Sansa – A Gala & Akane cross developed in Japan. Excellent dessert apple with good keeping quality. Ripens one week before Gala.
- Wolf River – A traditional apple and a perennial favorite for pies. Very large in size.
- Smokehouse – An old time apple welcomed in every home and a favorite for pies and sauces. Planted by the Amish of Pennsylvania for storage late into winter.
In 2008 we also planted some top rated English cider apples that we will be using to make specialty ciders:
- Foxwelp – Sharp tasting and one of the most famous English cider apples.
- Kingston Black – A bitter-sharp apple. One of the best English single varietal ciders.
- Harrys Masters Jersey – A bitter-sweet apple that makes very good quality cider.
In 2009 we planted trees that would help us supply more of your favorite apples and one new variety:
- Smokehouse
- Gala
- Spartan
- Snowsweet – An apple from the same development program as Zestar & Honeycrisp.
In 2010 we planted a new variety, more of a favorite, and more European and American cider apples for specialty cider:
- Shizuka – A cross between Indo & Golden Delicious. Developed in Japan in 1949, they are a low acid eating apple.
- Snowsweet
- Claville Blanc – Developed in France around 1600; high in vitamin C.
- Roxbury Russset – Developed in the 1700s; stays crisp all winter.
- Spitzenburg – Also developed in the 1700s; Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple; hard, dense, and crisp with a nut like flavor.
Apple Suggestions
Sometimes you just feel like something different. Here are some suggestions for our newer varieties based on some perennial favorites.
- If you like the tarty taste of McIntosh you might like Macoun, Liberty, or Empire.
- If you like Cortland as a great cooking apple you might like Spencer or Paulared.
- If you like Northern Spy as a great keeping apple you might try Idared.
- If you like Golden Delicious then you might try Jonagold or SunCrisp.