CandyCrisp, Sweetie, Fuji, Ambrosia and PoundSweet top our list, with Gala, Golden Delicious, Blondee and Shizuka close behind. For sweet fruit that isn’t an apple at all, try our crisp Asian pears. Sweetness builds as fruit ripens, so late-picked fruit is often the sweetest of the year.

Yes — the Flavor & Texture Chart above places every apple we grow from very sweet to boldly tart, and from tender to very firm. It is built on how each apple tastes and bites, so it answers the question you actually have: will I like it?

Bramley, GoldRush and Bottle Greening are the tartest we grow. Northern Spy, Winesap, Stayman and Paula Red are lively and tangy with more sweetness underneath.

Nearly everything. That bright tang stands up to sugar and spice, which is why tart apples make the best pies, crisps and sauces — and plenty of people love a sharp apple fresh, especially with cheese or peanut butter.

Honeycrisp is America’s favorite balance of sweet and tart. Empire, Jonagold, Macoun, Pink Lady, Pinova, CrimsonCrisp and RubyFrost all hit that same sweet-tart sweet spot, each in its own way.

For spice, try SnapDragon, Winesap or Enterprise. For nutty and rich, the russets — Roxbury Russet and Golden Russet. LudaCrisp has tropical notes, Blue Pearmain a hint of berry, Pinova a touch of citrus, and Zestar! a brown-sugar finish.

It depends what you love. For crunch: Honeycrisp, EverCrisp, SnapDragon and Fuji. For sweetness: CandyCrisp, Sweetie and Ambrosia. For aroma: Macoun and McIntosh. For a tart snap: GoldRush and Pink Lady.

Honeycrisp has the famous explosive crunch. EverCrisp, SnapDragon, AutumnCrisp, CrimsonCrisp and Fuji are right with it, and WineCrisp and GoldRush are among the firmest apples you can bite into.

No. Hard or firm describes how much the flesh pushes back when you bite. Crisp describes how cleanly it snaps. Fuji can be dense and hard-crisp; Honeycrisp is famous for a lighter, explosive snap; McIntosh can be juicy and aromatic while staying tender.

Sweet, medium-sized apples that are easy to love: Gala, Zestar!, Sweetie, CrimsonCrisp and Fuji. If you pack slices, SnowSweet and Cortland stay white longer.

Both are sweet. Gala is lighter, milder and finer-textured, and it arrives early — late August. Fuji is sweeter, denser and harder-crisp, arrives in late September and keeps far longer. Gala for quick snacking and lunchboxes; Fuji for crunch that lasts.

Honeycrisp is bigger, juicier and far crunchier, with more tang. Gala is sweeter, milder and finer-textured. Both ripen in late August, and both are great fresh.

Honeycrisp has a light, explosive crunch and a juicy sweet-tart balance. Fuji is denser, sweeter and a much longer keeper. EverCrisp is the cross of the two — Fuji sweetness with Honeycrisp crunch.

Honeycrisp is juicier with a lighter, explosive snap and a gentler tang. Pink Lady is firmer and tarter, holds its shape better in the oven and keeps longer. Honeycrisp ripens in late August, Pink Lady in mid-October.

They’re family — Cosmic Crisp is a Honeycrisp child, bred with Enterprise. It is firmer, denser and keeps longer; Honeycrisp is juicier with a lighter, more explosive crunch. We grow both of Cosmic Crisp’s parents, so you can taste where it came from.

EverCrisp is Honeycrisp crossed with Fuji. It is denser and sweeter, and it stays crunchy for months. Honeycrisp is juicier and lighter, with more tang.

Gala is sweet, mild and tender-crisp. Pink Lady is tangy, very firm and crunchy. If you like sweet, choose Gala; if you like a tart snap, choose Pink Lady.

Both are firm, crisp and great keepers. Fuji is much sweeter and milder; Pink Lady is tangier and brighter, and better in a pie.

Cortland is McIntosh’s child. It is a little firmer and sweeter, with snowy white flesh that stays bright. McIntosh is more tender and tangier, and it makes the best sauce. Our customers love the two together in a pie.

Envy is sweeter and denser, and slow to brown. Honeycrisp is juicier, with more tang and a lighter crunch. We don’t grow Envy, but Sweetie comes from the same two parents.

Color alone doesn’t tell you the flavor. Many green apples are tart — Bottle Greening and Bramley — but Mutsu and Shizuka are sweet. Red apples run from very sweet, like Red Delicious and Sweetie, to tangy, like Winesap. The flavor chart is the better guide.

The one you like best! Honeycrisp is the most famous, but every palate is different. Use the match finder and the flavor chart, or try several at once with Apple Mixers.

EverCrisp (Honeycrisp crossed with Fuji) and SnapDragon are both Honeycrisp children, with the same big crunch. Keepsake is one of Honeycrisp’s parents. AutumnCrisp and CrimsonCrisp aren’t relatives, but Honeycrisp fans love them too.

McIntosh has a big family and we grow much of it: Macoun, Cortland and Empire are all McIntosh children, and Liberty is a Macoun child. Acey Mac, Paula Red, Jersey Mac and Spartan share that juicy, aromatic Mac character.

RubyFrost, Pinova, Cameo and CrimsonCrisp all share Pink Lady’s firm crunch and strong sweet-tart balance. We grow Pink Lady too — it is one of our mid-October apples.

Its children: Jonagold (with Jonathan) is honeyed with more tang, and Mutsu (with Indo) is bigger, firmer and a little tarter. Shizuka is Mutsu’s sister, and Blondee and Ginger Gold are sweet, crisp yellow apples.

EverCrisp is Fuji crossed with Honeycrisp — just as sweet, and it stays crunchy into winter. Senshu is a Fuji child from Japan that ripens earlier. CandyCrisp and Ambrosia are very sweet as well.

Granny Smith is not in our 2026 crop, so reach for GoldRush — intensely tart-sweet, very firm and a great keeper. For pie, Northern Spy is the old-time favorite. For a green, tart heirloom, try Bottle Greening; for crumbles and sauce, Bramley is even tarter.

Jonagold is Jonathan’s own child and carries the same aromatic tang with more honey. Winesap and Stayman bring that spicy, old-fashioned tartness, and Empire is a lovely balanced eating apple. Jonathan itself is growing for future seasons.

Cosmic Crisp was bred from two apples we grow: Honeycrisp and Enterprise. Try either parent, or EverCrisp and CrimsonCrisp for that same dense, juicy crunch.

Sweetie comes from the same Braeburn and Royal Gala parents as Envy and Jazz. RubyFrost is a Braeburn child with bright sweet-tart flavor, and Pink Lady has the firm, tangy snap Braeburn fans look for.

Our 2026 crop doesn’t include every variety. Granny Smith, Jonathan, Idared, Spencer and Tolman Sweet are growing for future seasons. Use the match finder above to find a close cousin, and join the Apple Club for new-crop alerts.

Winesap is our customers’ top pie apple, followed by Northern Spy, Stayman and Rome. Cortland, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Jonagold, GoldRush and Mutsu round out the favorites. The best pies usually blend two or three — one tart and firm, one sweet or aromatic. See the pie apple table above for pairings.

Yes, each in its own way. Gala softens and is very sweet, so it shines as half of a pie with a tart, firm apple. Fuji holds its shape well but needs a tart partner like Northern Spy or Pink Lady for brightness. Honeycrisp keeps some crunch and lots of juice — blend it with Stayman, Northern Spy or Rome.

For canned pie filling, choose apples that stay in slices: WineCrisp, Rome, Northern Spy and Stayman. For canned applesauce, McIntosh is hard to beat — it keeps its color and flavor beautifully.

Firm apples hold up best as frozen pie slices: Northern Spy, Rome, GoldRush, Pink Lady and Jonagold. Tender apples like McIntosh are better frozen as sauce. Our FAQ covers how to freeze them.

Sweet, firm apples make the best chips: Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious. For tangier chips, try Pink Lady or GoldRush.

A crisp, tangy apple balances rich flavors: GoldRush, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Empire. With sharp cheddar, a sweet one like Fuji or Ambrosia is lovely too — and the russets, Golden Russet and Roxbury Russet, are made for a cheese board.

Firm apples that hold their shape in the pan and bring a little tang: Northern Spy, Pink Lady, Jonagold and Rome. For a quick, tangy apple sauce to serve with pork, Bramley cooks down in minutes.

About six to eight medium apples for a 9-inch double-crust pie — roughly two and a half to three pounds. Three medium apples make about a pound. Firm apples that hold their shape can be mounded a little higher.

Yes — it makes a better pie. The classic Northeast blend is McIntosh with Northern Spy: the Macs melt and carry the flavor, the Spy holds its slices. Cortland with Northern Spy, or Golden Delicious with GoldRush, work beautifully too.

Pie wants slices that hold their shape. Sauce wants fruit that breaks down. That is why Northern Spy or Rome shine in pie while McIntosh and Paula Red make fragrant sauce quickly.

Rome is the classic — it holds its shape and cups the filling. Stark Jumbo and Wolf River make big, showpiece baked apples, and Northern Spy and Mutsu roast well in wedges.

Mix a firm, tart apple with one that softens. Northern Spy, GoldRush, Stayman and Pink Lady hold their shape; Cortland, McIntosh and Bramley melt into a juicy base.

McIntosh, and it isn’t close — it breaks down fast and smells wonderful. Paula Red, Red Gravenstein, Cortland and Jersey Mac are also lovely. Golden Delicious and Gala make a sauce that rarely needs sugar. Leave red skins on for pink sauce.

Apples that cook down softly: McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Gala, Cortland and Jonagold. Sweet varieties mean less added sugar; a tart one like GoldRush adds brightness.

A tart, crisp apple balances the caramel. GoldRush, Pink Lady, WineCrisp and Stayman are favorites; Honeycrisp if you like it extra juicy.

Firm apples keep tender pieces through the bake: Jonagold, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious. For applesauce cake, homemade McIntosh sauce is ideal.

Choose one that holds its shape in the pan: Jonagold, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, GoldRush or Rome. McIntosh will melt into sauce — delicious, but not what you want here.

A blend of sweet, tart and aromatic. Golden Delicious brings sugar and a floral note; McIntosh, Winesap and Stayman bring tang; the russets — Golden Russet and Roxbury Russet — add a rich, old-fashioned body.

Yes. A recipe written for Granny Smith assumes a very tart apple. With a sweet variety like Fuji, Gala or AutumnCrisp, start at the low end of the sugar and taste as you go.

Cortland, SnowSweet and AutumnCrisp are especially good for salads and fruit trays because their white flesh stays bright for a long time. Pink Lady is another good choice. A quick dip in lemon water helps any apple.

We grow several: Golden Delicious, Blondee, Ginger Gold, Shizuka, GoldRush and Mutsu, which turns from green to gold. CandyCrisp and PoundSweet are pale golden-green.

For a classic deep red: Red Delicious, Empire, RubyFrost, CrimsonCrisp, WineCrisp, Winesap and Rome. For the darkest apple we grow, see Black Oxford, which is nearly purple-black.

Bottle Greening and Bramley are true green, tart apples. Mutsu and Shizuka are green-yellow and sweeter. Granny Smith is growing for future seasons.

A russet has a rough, golden-brown skin that feels a little like fine suede. Russets are often rich, nutty and honeyed. Try Golden Russet and Roxbury Russet; our Hosui and Olympic Giant Asian pears wear a similar bronze coat.

An older variety kept alive for generations because people loved it — many date back a century or more. Our Heirloom Apple Collection brings unusual colors, russeted skins and flavors from honeyed to spicy, nutty and wine-like.

Fuji, EverCrisp, GoldRush, Enterprise, WineCrisp, Rome, Pink Lady, Black Oxford and Keepsake are our long keepers. Early, tender apples like McIntosh, Paula Red, Zestar! and Ginger Gold are best enjoyed within a few weeks.

In the refrigerator, as soon as they arrive — the crisper drawer is ideal. Keep them away from onions and other strong-smelling foods, and check stored fruit now and then. See our FAQ for more storage tips.

Every harvest has its own personality. Sunshine, rain, warm days, cool nights and picking time all shape flavor, color and crunch — which is part of the fun of orchard fruit, and especially true of heirlooms.

Asian pears are pears, but they are eaten crisp like an apple rather than softened like many European pears. Hosui and Olympic Giant have a juicy, apple-like crunch with sweet, gentle pear flavor. Compare them on our Asian Pear page.

Our harvest runs from late August into November. Early apples include Gala, Honeycrisp, Zestar! and Paula Red; mid-season brings McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun and Empire; late apples include Fuji, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, GoldRush and Rome. See Harvest Times and Ready to Ship for today’s list.

Not always. Harvest is an orchard window, and we ship once the fruit is at its best for packing. Check Harvest Times for timing and Order Fruit for what is ready now.

Yes. Apple Mixers put several varieties in one box — a great way to taste your way through the chart and find a new favorite.