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List of popular cooking apples

Apple varieties which have the acidity and textures needed for use in the kitchen.

View selection criteria View the selection criteria for this list of varieties

Varieties list

Akane
Akane is an attractive early-season eating apple with a good pedigree and a sweet/sharp flavor.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Almata
Almata is a red-fleshed apple, with an acidic flavor. The blossom is deep red.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 1
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Antonovka
Antonovka is one of the most cold-hardy of all apple varieties.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Arkansas Black
Arkansas Black is an unusual and attractive apple, used as a winter apple after maturing in a cold store.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Baldwin
Baldwin is an American heirloom apples, sweet and crisp for eating fresh or cooking.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Belle de Boskoop
A versatile and popular dual-purpose 19th century Dutch apple, still grown commercially in Europe.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Black Oxford
A good quality hardy traditional New England apple which keeps well.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Blenheim Orange
Blenheim Orange is a classic English dual-purpose apple, useful for dessert and cooking with.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Bonkers NY35
Bonkers (NY35) is an interesting cross between Liberty and Delicious, with the best characteristics of both.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Bramley's Seedling
Bramley is the essential English cooking and sharp cider apple, famous for its rich tangy acidity.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Calville Blanc
One of the world's great cooking apples, Calville Blanc is a French variety with a spicy tangy flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Chieftain
A quietly popular apple, similar to Delicious but with a better and more complex flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Cortland
Developed from McIntosh, Cortland is one of the most widely-grown Mac-style apples.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Cox Queen
A modern self-fertile form of the renowned Cox's Orange Pippin, with arguably even better flavor.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
Cox's Orange Pippin
Cox is widely considered to have the best flavor of any dessert apple variety.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Cripps Red
Cripps Red is a late-season low-chill apple from Australia, with a crisp dense flesh and a good flavor.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Duchess of Oldenburg
An old culinary variety from Russia, popular in North America, and noted for its winter hardiness.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Enterprise
Enterprise is a modern American disease-resistant apple, good for eating fresh and cooking.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Freedom
A modern disease-resistant apple variety, similar to McIntosh.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Golden Delicious
The flavor of home-grown Golden Delicious is far better than its supermarket reputation.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Golden Russet
Golden Russet is an antique apple from New York, considered the best-flavored of American russets.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
GoldRush
GoldRush is a modern disease-resistant apple, like Golden Delicious but with a better tart/sweet balance. It is also one of the best new hard-cider varieties.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Granny Smith
Granny Smith is the world-famous green apple from Australia, a good choice for warmer apple-growing regions.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
Gravenstein
Gravenstein is a high-quality early-season eating and cooking apple, with an excellent strong apple flavor.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 1
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Grimes Golden
A high quality apple, Grimes Golden is probably the parent of Golden Delicious, but with a richer flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
Haralson
Haralson is a great all-round backyard apple variety, disease-resistant and cold-hardy.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Idared
A popular and versatile apple, especially good for juicing, and an exceptional keeper.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Isaac Newton's Tree
The old Engish variety known as Flower of Kent is the variety of apple tree the famous scientist sat under.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 5
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Jonagold
Jonagold is a high quality American apple, with a good balanced sweet/sharp flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Jonalicious
An interesting cross of Red Delicious and Jonathan, for eating fresh or baking.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 5
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Jonathan
One of the best-flavored US apple varieties, a good choice for the backyard orchard.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
King David
A popular Arkansas variety with a rich southern flavor.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
King of Tompkins County
An heirloom apple from New York state, primarily used for cooking.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
McIntosh
A traditional versatile apple popular in the northern states of the USA. Also known as Macintosh.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Mutsu
Mutsu (or Crispin) is a high quality apple from Japan, with a good flavor, and also sharp enough for cooking.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Newtown Pippin
In use since the 18th century, Newtown Pippin is a versatile American apple with a good aromatic flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Northern Spy
Northern Spy is a popular late-season American heirloom apple variety which stores well.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 5
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Novaspy
An improved form of Northern Spy, and an excellent all-round apple for northern areas.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Orleans Reinette
Orleans Reinette is a traditional French apple variety, and remains popular for its old-fashioned flavour.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl features bright pink flesh, and pink apple blossom.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 1
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Redfield
An unusual apple / crab-apple cross, with distinctive red-flesh.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Regent
Regent is a large attractive late-season eating apple with a juicy crisp flesh and a sweet flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Reinette Clochard
A traditional French sweet-flavored dual-purpose apple.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Rhode Island Greening
Rhode Island Greening is a well-regarded American heirloom variety, particularly good for cooking.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Ribston Pippin
A handsome English apple from the 18th century.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Roxbury Russet
Roxbury Russet is probably the oldest apple variety originating from North America.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Spitzenburg
Esopus Spitzenberg is one of the best-flavored American heirloom apples, and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
State Fair
State Fair is a bright red summer apple, with a juicy firm flesh and sweet/tart flavor.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Summer Rambo
Summer Rambo is a well-known summer apple, notable for its juiciness and pleasing flavors.
- Picking season: Early
Sweet Sixteen
Sweet 16 is a sweet-flavored apple, with good cold hardiness.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Winesap
Winesap is a popular southern heirloom apple, widely grown in Virginia in the 19th century.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Wolf River
Wolf River is the perfect cooking apple for the north - reliable, cold-hardy, disease resistant.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Yellow Transparent
A traditional very early-season dual-purpose apple, which is also very winter-hardy.
- Picking season: Very early
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile

List of popular cooking apples

Categories

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Identification

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Varieties list