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List of the best apple varieties for juicing and pressing

All apples can be juiced, but if you want press your own apple cider these varieties offer the best quality color and flavor for home-made sweet cider.

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
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
Ashmead's Kernel
A versatile English 17th century russet apple, Ashmead's Kernel is noted for its distinctive pear-like flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- 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
Black Oxford
A good quality hardy traditional New England apple which keeps well.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
BlondeeTM
Blondee is bright yellow sweet mid-season apple, closely related to Gala.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 4
- 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
Burgundy
A mid-season apple variety with a good flavor, and good for juicing.
- Picking season: Mid
- 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
Claygate Pearmain
Claygate Pearmain is a popular English dessert apple of the Victorian era.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Court Pendu Plat
Court Pendu Plant is a traditional French apple with a pronounced aromatic pear-drop flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 6
- Self-fertility: Not 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
CrimsonCrispTM
CrimsonCrisp is a modern scab-resistant apple, with a very crisp flesh. It can be picked over a long-period.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
CrimsonTopazTM
CrimsonTopaz is a modern scab-resistant variety from the Czech Republic, with a sweet-tart flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Cripps Pink
Cripps Pink is one of the best-known modern apple varieties, well-suited to the warmer apple-growing regions.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Discovery
Discovery is the definitive early-season English apple variety.
- Picking season: Early
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Empire
One of the most widely-planted McIntosh style apples, Empire has the Mac flavor but improves on it.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Fameuse
A very hardy north country apple, known both as the Snow Apple and Fameuse, and the probable parent of McIntosh.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Fenouillet Gris
Fenouillet Gris is an old French apple variety, noted for its aniseed flavors.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Freiherr von Berlepsch
A good quality German apple, notable for its characteristic pineapple flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
FrostbiteTM
An unusual small apple with a distinctive sweet flavor, and exceptional cold-hardiness.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Gala
Gala is popular supermarket apple - but better when home-grown, with a sweet pleasant flavor.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Gilpin
Gilpin is a traditional American an all-purpose apple, an excellent keeper, useful in the kitchen and for cider too.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 5
- Self-fertility: Not 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
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
Holstein
A high-quality apple from Germany, noted for its good flavor and excellent juice.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Hudson's Golden Gem
A large yellow russeted apple with an excellent sweet flavor.
- Picking season: 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
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
Karmijn de Sonnaville
A rare Cox-style apple from the Netherlands, with the potential for very good flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Kidd's Orange Red
Kidd's Orange Red is one of the best Cox-style apples, aromatic, sweet, and easy to grow.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not 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
Lady
A small highly flavored apple variety from France, where it is known as Api. It is thought to be very old.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Liberty
Liberty is a popular disease-resistant apple, large crops of bright red apples, similar to McIntosh.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Margil
An 18th century French apple variety with an aromatic and complex flavor.
- 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
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
Reinette Clochard
A traditional French sweet-flavored dual-purpose apple.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- 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
Saint Edmund's Russet
Not as well known as other russets, St. Edmund's Russet is nevertheless one of the best.
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Shizuka
A large sweet-flavored crisp eating apple from Japan.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Spartan
Spartan produces lots of crimson maroon apples, crunchy, sweet, easy to grow, and a delicate "vinous" flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Spigold
A good-tasting cross between Northern Spy and Golden Delicious.
- 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
Sturmer Pippin
A traditional late-season English apple, ideal for storing.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
Summer Rambo
Summer Rambo is a well-known summer apple, notable for its juiciness and pleasing flavors.
- Picking season: Early
SunCrispTM
A high-quality late-season eating apple with plenty of interesting flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Sunrise
Sunrise is a bright red-flushed Canadian apple with a soft flesh and sweet flavor.
- Picking season: Early
- Picking season: Mid
- Pollination group: 2
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Suntan
An attractive English late-season dessert apple with excellent sweet-sharp aromatic flavors.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 5
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Tydeman's Late Orange
An excellent late-season Cox-style aromatic apple.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 4
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
Williams' Pride
An early summer apple, with excellent disease-resistance and a pleasant tart flavor.
- Picking season: Very early
- Pollination group: 2
- 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
Winter Banana
A good quality American apple variety named for its faint banana-like flavor.
- Picking season: Very late
- Pollination group: 4
- 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
Zabergau Reinette
Zabergau Reinette is a well-regarded russet apple from Germany with a strong well-balanced flavor.
- Picking season: Late
- Pollination group: 3
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

List of the best apple varieties for juicing and pressing

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Varieties list