Empire Apples
Cornell's McIntosh × Delicious Classic, Introduced in 1966
Empire is a true New York original: a deep-red, creamy-fleshed apple selected at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. It marries the fragrance and lively flavor associated with McIntosh with a firmer, crisper bite and dependable versatility.
Empire Apples: New York Character in Every Bite
Empire is more than a red apple with a famous name. It is the result of more than twenty years of observation, selection and patient testing by New York fruit researchers. Its story begins in a Hudson Valley orchard in 1945, continues through rows of seedlings in Geneva, and reaches the public on September 15, 1966—when selection NY 45500-5 was formally introduced as Empire.
For apple lovers, Empire offers an unusually useful combination: McIntosh-like fragrance and sweet-tart liveliness in a smaller, firmer apple that handles lunchboxes, salads, sauce and everyday baking. New York's cool fall nights also help red apples develop their characteristic color, making Empire feel especially at home in its native state.
Empire Apples at a Glance
Origin
New York; selected through Cornell's apple program at the Experiment Station in Geneva.
Parentage
McIntosh × Delicious, often presented commercially as McIntosh × Red Delicious.
Breeding Number
NY 45500-5, the fifth selection retained from the 1945 seed lot.
Introduced
September 15, 1966, after roughly two decades of evaluation.
Flavor
Balanced sweet-tart taste with a lightly vinous, McIntosh-family aroma.
Texture
Firm, crisp and juicy with creamy-white flesh.
Appearance
Usually small to medium, round and richly red over a green-to-yellow background.
Best Known For
Fresh eating, lunchboxes, salads and all-purpose kitchen versatility.
Best Uses for Empire Apples
Fresh Eating & Lunchboxes
A crisp bite, manageable size and balanced flavor make Empire a practical everyday snack.
Salads & Cheese Boards
Red peel, white flesh and bright flavor work well with cheddar, nuts, cabbage and leafy greens.
Applesauce & Apple Butter
Empire brings aroma and balance; mix it with McIntosh for softness or a firmer apple for body.
Crisps, Cakes & Mixed Pies
Use Empire alone in forgiving bakes or blend it with a firm, tart variety for a more structured pie.
The Empire Family Tree
aromatic, tender, lively
red color, firmness
How Empire Was Created: A Twenty-Year New York Story
Empire did not begin as one carefully hand-pollinated blossom. According to Cornell's historical account, fruit nutritionist Lester C. Anderson used his own Hudson Valley orchards for research. At the direction of Experiment Station director A. J. Heinicke, fruit were gathered from an orchard where McIntosh and Delicious grew together. Twenty bushels of open-pollinated fruit supplied the seeds for a very large experiment.
The seed lot was designated NY 45500. After the seeds received the cold, moist treatment needed to overcome dormancy, researchers grew a large seedling population. In 1947, approximately 1,199 seedlings were planted at the Geneva station. Each seedling was genetically different. Researchers waited for the young trees to bear, then judged the fruit and trees over time rather than trusting one impressive harvest.
Selections made in 1954 entered a second trial planting and were watched for another twelve years. Roger D. Way, who joined the Geneva program in 1949, determined that NY 45500-5 merited release. At the New York State Fruit Testing Association meeting in Geneva on September 15, 1966, the public finally met Empire.
Empire Apple Timeline
- 1945 — The seed lot beginsOpen-pollinated McIntosh fruit were collected from Lester C. Anderson's Hudson Valley research orchard, where McIntosh and Delicious were the only apple cultivars growing.
- 1947 — 1,199 seedlings at GenevaSeedlings from lot NY 45500 were planted at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station for long-term observation.
- 1954 — The survivors advancePromising trees were selected from the original population and moved into a second trial planting.
- 1954–1966 — Twelve more years of testingResearchers compared fruit color, eating quality, tree performance, harvest behavior and storage potential across seasons.
- September 15, 1966 — Empire is introducedRoger D. Way presented NY 45500-5 as Empire at the New York State Fruit Testing Association meeting in Geneva.
- 1987 — National horticultural recognitionEmpire received the Outstanding Fruit Cultivar Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science.
- 1996 — A 30th-birthday benchmarkCornell reported that New York growers expected to produce 110 million pounds—about half of the U.S. Empire crop at that time.
- Today — A living New York classicEmpire remains a recognizable regional apple and an enduring example of public apple breeding serving growers and eaters.
The People Behind Empire
Lester C. Anderson and the Hudson Valley Seed Orchard
Anderson was a Cornell fruit nutritionist who used his own orchards for research. The 1945 fruit collection from one of those orchards supplied the seed population behind Empire. Because the fruit were open-pollinated, researchers inferred Delicious as the pollen parent from the orchard planting and the resulting characteristics rather than from a recorded hand pollination of one blossom.
A. J. Heinicke and the Experiment Station
Heinicke, then director of the Experiment Station, set the large seedling experiment in motion. That scale mattered: only one named Empire emerged from well over a thousand planted seedlings, illustrating how much unglamorous growing, culling and recordkeeping stands behind a successful cultivar.
Roger D. Way and NY 45500-5
Way joined the Geneva program in 1949 and became the researcher most closely associated with evaluating, naming and releasing Empire. His decision rested on repeated performance, not a single taste test. The cultivar had to be useful to growers, hold quality through harvest and storage, and please consumers.
Why Empire Belongs to New York's North Country
Empire was born in New York and fits the flavor tradition of the Northeast. The North Country's orchards experience cold winters, spring bloom, long summer development and increasingly cool nights as fall approaches. Those cooler nights help red pigments develop in apple skins while the fruit completes its balance of sugars, acids and aroma.
"North Country" is a regional identity, not a separate Empire cultivar. Fruit from different New York farms may vary somewhat in size, red coverage, maturity and eating character because of orchard site, weather, rootstock, crop load and harvest date. That natural variation is part of farm-grown fruit. The name Empire, however, always identifies the same underlying cultivar.
Flavor, Aroma and Texture
Empire is balanced rather than extreme. The first impression is often crisp and juicy, followed by sweetness, refreshing acidity and an aromatic quality that recalls McIntosh. The flavor can seem wine-like or berry-bright to some tasters, but individual perception and each crop both vary. It is less sharply tart than many cooking apples and generally more aromatic than the mildest modern snack apples.
The creamy-white flesh is firmer than classic McIntosh. A newly harvested, properly chilled Empire should give a clean, crisp bite. As with every apple, texture gradually softens during home storage, especially if fruit is kept warm.
Size, Shape and Color
Empire is commonly a small-to-medium, round apple. The skin develops rich red color—sometimes with darker striping or a blush—over a greenish or yellowing background. The amount and uniformity of red are not a reliable home ripeness test by themselves; orchardists use maturity measurements and experience, while shoppers should look for firm, sound fruit.
Smaller fruit can be especially convenient for lunchboxes and single servings. Larger fruit are equally genuine Empires; size is influenced by crop load, tree, weather and packing grade, not by a change in cultivar.
Harvest Season, Availability and Ordering
Empire is a fall apple. Cornell's historical account notes that it filled the harvest interval between McIntosh and Delicious. Exact harvest dates move with latitude, orchard elevation, weather and the season. At Honeycrisp.com, the product status and expected shipping information shown above are the current source of truth.
Harvest season and selling season are not identical. Apples may be offered after picking because commercial refrigeration and controlled-atmosphere storage can extend availability. That does not mean an apple was just harvested. For current options, visit Apples Available Now; for general planning, use the Apple Harvest Times guide.
Storage: From Research Facility to Home Refrigerator
Empire became commercially important partly because it could retain desirable quality in storage. Commercial operators use tightly managed refrigeration, atmosphere, maturity testing and sometimes postharvest treatments. Cornell and USDA research also shows that Empire can develop firm-flesh browning under some long-term controlled-atmosphere conditions, particularly when temperature and 1-MCP treatment interact. That is a specialist commercial-storage issue, not a reason to avoid the apple.
At home, keep Empire apples refrigerated—ideally in a crisper drawer or another cool, humid area. Leave them unwashed until shortly before use, keep them away from strong odors, and inspect the fruit periodically. Separate bruised or damaged apples and use those first. A countertop is fine for a short serving period, but prolonged warmth speeds water loss and softening.
Empire in the Orchard
A named apple tree is propagated by grafting or budding because planting an Empire seed will not reproduce Empire. A piece of Empire wood is joined to a chosen rootstock; the scion determines the cultivar's fruit, while the rootstock influences tree size, anchorage and the time it takes to bear.
Commercial success also requires more than good flavor. Cornell's 30-year retrospective credited Empire with productivity across planting systems, resistance to preharvest fruit drop, useful harvest timing and strong fruit quality. Those are comparative horticultural traits—not immunity. Growers still manage pruning, nutrition, crop load, pollination, pests, diseases and harvest maturity.
Like most apple cultivars, Empire benefits from compatible apple pollen blooming nearby. Home growers should choose a rootstock and pollination partner suited to their site and consult their regional Cooperative Extension office for local recommendations rather than relying on one universal hardiness-zone promise.
Royal Empire and Other Redder Sports
Apple trees occasionally produce a bud mutation—a "sport"—with a useful difference such as stronger red color. If that branch is propagated, growers can preserve the mutation while the fruit remains recognizably part of the original cultivar family. Cornell describes Royal Empire™ as a whole-limb sport of Empire selected for significantly brighter, redder fruit, with creamy-white flesh and refrigerated keeping ability.
A sport is not a seedling child and does not change Empire's McIntosh × Delicious parentage. Names such as Royal Empire identify selected strains within the Empire family. Color may improve grading and visual appeal, while orchard and eating performance still depend on site, season and harvest management.
Empire Compared with Other Apples
| Apple | Flavor | Texture | Best Role | How It Differs from Empire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire | Balanced sweet-tart, aromatic | Crisp, firm, juicy | Snacking, salads, sauce, mixed baking | The baseline: a compact New York all-purpose apple |
| McIntosh | Bright, vinous and highly aromatic | Tender and juicy | Fresh eating and sauce | Empire's seed parent is softer and more aromatic |
| Red Delicious | Mild and sweet | Firm; texture varies with strain and storage | Fresh eating and presentation | The Delicious family contributes lineage; Empire is usually tangier |
| Cortland | Sweet-tart, McIntosh-like | Tender-crisp and juicy | Salads, sauce and baking | Often larger and famous for slow-browning white flesh |
| Macoun | Rich, sweet-tart and perfumed | Crisp and juicy in season | Premium fresh eating | More intensely aromatic and usually more seasonal |
| Honeycrisp | Bright sweet-tart | Explosively crisp and juicy | Premium fresh eating | Larger cells give Honeycrisp its signature shattering crunch |
| Fortune | Sweet-tart with spice | Firm and juicy | Fresh eating and baking | A later Cornell cultivar with Empire as one parent |
Empire's Next Generation: Fortune
Empire also became a parent. Cornell's Fortune apple was created from Empire and Schoharie Spy, a New York Northern Spy-type selection. New York apple references often shorten the second parent to Red Spy. Fortune carries the story forward: a successful cultivar can become breeding material for another generation rather than the end of a family line.
Empire Apple Recipes & Kitchen Ideas
Empire's sweetness, acidity and aroma make it flexible. For baking, remember that apple texture changes with maturity and storage. A mixed-variety recipe often gives the best combination of flavor and structure.
1. North Country Apple Crisp
Toss six sliced Empires with lemon, cinnamon and a spoonful of flour. Top with oats, brown sugar, butter and chopped walnuts; bake at 375°F until the fruit bubbles and the top is deeply golden.
2. Empire–Northern Spy Pie
Blend Empire for aroma and juice with Northern Spy for tartness and structure. Taste the fruit before deciding how much sugar to add.
3. Rosy Empire Applesauce
Quarter cored apples and simmer with a small splash of cider or water. Leave some red peel on, then pass the cooked fruit through a food mill for a softly rosy, aromatic sauce.
4. Apple, Cheddar & Maple Toast
Layer thin Empire slices and sharp New York cheddar on sturdy toast. Broil briefly, then finish with black pepper and the lightest drizzle of maple syrup.
5. Cabbage–Empire Harvest Slaw
Cut Empire into matchsticks and toss immediately with cider vinegar. Add shredded cabbage, carrot, scallion, olive oil, mustard and toasted sunflower seeds.
6. Empire Apple Cider Cake
Fold diced apples into a cinnamon-spiced butter cake, using reduced cider for concentrated orchard flavor. A tube or Bundt pan helps the moist batter bake evenly.
7. Pork Chops with Skillet Apples
Brown Empire wedges in the savory pan with onion, thyme and a splash of cider. Cook just until tender so the slices retain some shape.
8. Freezer Pie Filling
Slice and season Empire with lemon, sugar, spice and thickener, then freeze in a pie-plate shape. Use within your tested food-preservation recipe; quality is best when the fruit stays continuously frozen.
Buying, Receiving and Serving Empire Apples
Choose the package above that fits how you plan to use the fruit. Gift boxes emphasize individual protection and presentation. Larger value cases are economical for sauce, baking or households that use many apples, but bulk fruit has a greater risk of transit bruising. Product descriptions state those tradeoffs.
When a shipment arrives, open it promptly. Check the apples, refrigerate sound fruit and set aside any apple with a bruise or skin break for early use. Rinse under cool running water shortly before eating. If Empire is unavailable, consider Apple Mixers or browse what is currently in stock.
Watch and Read More About Empire Apples
These original Honeycrisp.com resources were preserved from the older Empire information page so customers and search engines can still reach the useful video and blog material after consolidation.
Watch: Empire Apple — Taste the Delicious Difference
See Honeycrisp.com's short Empire apple video and meet this crisp, red New York variety. Opens on YouTube.
Read: Empire Apple — A Heritage of Flavor
Visit the April 8, 2024 Honeycrisp.com article for another look at Empire's Cornell heritage, flavor and apple-crisp tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions About Empire Apples
What is an Empire apple?
Empire is a New York-bred apple cultivar selected at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. Its breeding number was NY 45500-5, and it was introduced in 1966.
What do Empire apples taste like?
Empire apples have a balanced sweet-tart flavor, abundant juice and a lightly aromatic quality associated with their McIntosh parent. Flavor varies naturally by harvest maturity, orchard and storage.
Are Empire apples sweet or tart?
They are balanced sweet-tart apples. They are usually livelier than mild sweet varieties but less sharply acidic than strongly tart cooking apples.
Are Empire apples crisp?
Yes. Empire was selected in part for firm, crisp eating quality. Proper refrigeration helps preserve that texture after purchase.
Are Empire apples juicy?
Yes. Juiciness is one of Empire's defining eating qualities, along with crispness and sweet-tart flavor.
Where did Empire apples originate?
Empire originated in New York. The seed population began with fruit collected in a Hudson Valley research orchard, and the seedlings were evaluated at the Experiment Station in Geneva.
Who developed the Empire apple?
Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station developed Empire. Lester C. Anderson supplied the orchard setting behind the 1945 seed lot, and Roger D. Way selected and introduced NY 45500-5.
When was the Empire apple created?
The seed lot originated in 1945, seedlings were planted at Geneva in 1947, and the selected cultivar was officially introduced on September 15, 1966.
What are Empire apple's parents?
The documented parentage is McIntosh × Delicious. Many consumer sources call the second parent Red Delicious, reflecting the familiar name of the Delicious family.
Why do some records say Delicious instead of Red Delicious?
Delicious is the original cultivar name, while red-colored sports led to the familiar Red Delicious market name. Cornell's historical account uses both expressions while its breeding notation is McIntosh × Delicious.
What does NY 45500-5 mean?
It was Empire's experimental selection number. NY 45500 identified the seedling family, and the final "5" identified the promising individual ultimately released as Empire.
Why is it called Empire?
The name honors New York, the Empire State, where the apple was developed and introduced.
Are Empire apples heirlooms?
Empire is an important New York classic, but it is a documented twentieth-century breeding selection introduced in 1966 rather than an old colonial-era heirloom.
When are Empire apples harvested?
Empire is a fall apple that historically filled the harvest interval between McIntosh and Delicious. Exact dates vary by New York region, orchard and season.
When can I order Empire apples?
Use the product status shown above as the current guide. Selling season may extend beyond harvest because properly managed commercial storage preserves the crop.
How should Empire apples be stored at home?
Refrigerate them promptly in a crisper drawer or another cool, humid part of the refrigerator. Keep bruised fruit separate and use it first.
How long do Empire apples keep?
Keeping time varies with maturity, pre-purchase storage, temperature, humidity and fruit condition. Refrigeration preserves quality far better than prolonged countertop storage, but no single duration fits every shipment.
Can Empire apples develop internal browning?
They can under some long-term commercial controlled-atmosphere conditions. Cornell and USDA have studied firm-flesh browning in Empire; ordinary buyers should refrigerate fruit and contact the seller if an apple arrives with a quality problem.
Are Empire apples good for fresh eating?
Yes. Their crisp texture, juice, balanced flavor and convenient size make fresh eating one of their best uses.
Are Empire apples good for lunchboxes?
Yes. Small-to-medium Empires are especially convenient for lunchboxes. Keep cut fruit chilled and use age-appropriate preparation for children.
Are Empire apples good for salads?
Yes. Their red peel, pale flesh and sweet-tart flavor pair well with greens, cabbage, cheddar, walnuts and cider vinaigrette. Toss cut slices with lemon if the salad will wait.
Do Empire apples resist browning after cutting?
They are not the variety best known for slow browning. Treat cut surfaces with lemon or another acidic juice and refrigerate promptly if appearance matters.
Are Empire apples good for applesauce?
Yes. Empire makes an aromatic, balanced sauce. Leave some peel on for color or blend with McIntosh for softness and a firm apple for more body.
Are Empire apples good for pie?
They can be used in pie, especially in a mixed-apple filling. Pairing Empire with a firmer, tarter baking apple gives more structure and flavor contrast.
Are Empire apples good for apple crisp?
Yes. Crisps and cobblers are forgiving formats for Empire because the topping provides texture even as the fruit becomes tender.
Are Empire apples good for cider?
Empire contributes sugar, acidity and aroma to fresh juice or a cider blend. The final cider is usually more complex when several apple varieties are combined.
Can Empire apples be frozen?
Yes. Peel and slice them, treat for browning if desired, and follow a tested freezing method. Frozen slices are best used in cooked dishes rather than as fresh snacks.
How does Empire compare with McIntosh?
Empire carries McIntosh-family aroma and acidity but is generally firmer and crisper. Classic McIntosh becomes tender more quickly and is especially prized for sauce.
How does Empire compare with Cortland?
Both have New York and McIntosh connections. Empire is often smaller and firm-crisp; Cortland is commonly larger and is particularly valued for white flesh that browns slowly after cutting.
How does Empire compare with Macoun?
Macoun is often more intensely perfumed and prized at peak fall freshness. Empire offers a similarly Northeast-style sweet-tart profile with a broader commercial storage and packing history.
How does Empire compare with Honeycrisp?
Honeycrisp has a larger-celled, explosive crunch and a brighter juicy burst. Empire is usually smaller, denser and more reminiscent of McIntosh in aroma.
Is Fortune related to Empire?
Yes. Fortune is a later Cornell cultivar with Empire as one parent and a Schoharie Spy, or Red Spy, selection as the other.
What is Royal Empire?
Royal Empire is a whole-limb sport of Empire selected for brighter, redder fruit. A sport is a propagated bud mutation, not a seedling child, so it remains within the Empire cultivar family.
Can I grow an Empire apple tree from a seed?
You can grow an apple seed, but it will not reproduce Empire true to type. Genuine Empire trees are propagated by grafting or budding onto rootstock.
Does an Empire tree need a pollination partner?
It generally benefits from compatible apple pollen blooming at the same time. Local Extension guidance or a reputable nursery can help select partners suited to your site.
Are Empire apples grown only in New York?
No. Empire is grown beyond New York, but it was developed there and remains strongly identified with the state's apple industry.
Why do Empire apples vary in size or color?
Crop load, orchard site, weather, tree age, rootstock, harvest timing and packing grade all affect appearance. Variation does not necessarily mean the fruit is a different cultivar.
Should Empire apples be washed before eating?
Yes. Rinse them under cool running water shortly before eating. Do not use soap or detergent on fresh fruit.
Do Empire apples ship well?
Their firm texture makes them useful for shipping, especially in protective gift packaging. Large value cases trade some individual protection for economy and carry a greater bruising risk.
What should I try if Empire is unavailable?
Try McIntosh or Macoun for Northeast aroma, Cortland for salads and cooking, or Honeycrisp for a brighter, more explosive crunch, subject to current availability.
Empire Apple Facts & Trivia
One in More Than a Thousand
About 1,199 seedlings from the NY 45500 population were planted at Geneva in 1947.
A Twenty-Year Wait
The 1945 seed collection preceded Empire's formal 1966 introduction by roughly two decades.
The Fifth Selection
The "-5" in NY 45500-5 marks the individual that became Empire.
An Exact Birthday
Cornell records the public introduction on September 15, 1966.
Named for New York
Empire celebrates the Empire State, not a royal dynasty or a foreign place.
A Parent, Too
Empire later helped produce Cornell's Fortune apple.
A Redder Branch
Royal Empire began as a whole-limb sport—an unusual branch mutation preserved by propagation.
A New York Milestone
At Empire's 30th birthday, Cornell called it the station's most successful apple release to that date.
Explore More New York Apples
Follow Empire's family through McIntosh, Red Delicious and Fortune. Compare other New York favorites including Cortland, Macoun and Jonagold, or explore the complete Apple & Pear Varieties guide and our long-form Apple History.
From The Farm To Your Door
Questions about Empire apples, package sizes or shipping? Contact Honeycrisp.com or call 518-695-4517.
Research note: Empire's origin, seedling history, selection number, introduction date and early commercial record were checked against Cornell's historical account and cultivar materials. Royal Empire information was checked against Cornell's Center for Technology Licensing. Storage cautions were checked against Cornell/USDA postharvest research. Current availability and shipping remain governed by the live Honeycrisp.com catalog.
