Are you trying to choose the right variety of apple for your needs? There are many to choose from. There are heirloom varieties that have been around for hundreds of years and apple growers are constantly creating new varieties to meet consumer tastes and 2024 is no exception. Scroll down this page for a table of dozens of apple varieties includingphotos and their characteristics and best uses. This page has tips about harvesting and storing apples. And if you bring home some apples and want to make applesauce, apple butter,apple juice, apple pie, apple cobbler, apple crisp, even apple cider, just click the links for each to follow directions and recipes or see this page see this page for a master list of simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, such as this list of local regional and apple festivals - click on the resources dropdown above.

If you have questions or feedback, please let me know!

What's in season in December 2024, and other timely information:

Notes for December 2024: Crop growth is slowing down, except for Christmas tree farms and if you live in southern California, southern Texas, Florida or along the Gulf coast where citrus are starting, and believe it or not, the blueberry and strawberry season in those areas is about to begin. See your state harvest calendar . This year, much of the country is still seeing mild weather, so lettuce, peas, broccoli, cabbage  and other greens are thriving.  And this is a good time to get a canner and  learn how to preserve foods for the winter, like canning some applesauce, apple butter or jam, which make great gifts. As do your own homemade specialty liqueurs! How about homemade cranberry sauce or a pumpkin pie made from a real pumpkin for the holidays? See our comprehensive list of easy home canning, jam and jelly making, preserving, drying and freezing directions. You can access recipes and other resources from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. A fun winter activity is to make your own ice cream, even gelato, or low fat or low sugar ice cream - see this page. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me!

Valentine's Day - February 14 - See this website for Valentines Day history, facts and Amazon's top picks for fast, easy, inexpensive gifts for the man, woman or children in your life!

Easter will be April 4, 2021 - if you want to take your children to a free Easter egg hunt - see our companion website to find a local Easter Egg hunt!

 

Children's Consignment Sales occur in both the Spring and Fall  See our companion website to find a local community or church kid's consignment sale!

Apple Varieties Guide by Harvest Date - Which Apple to Pick and Why!

2024 looks to have apples ripening on their normal schedule. There have been few late frosts in the main apple growing regions, rain and temperatures have been good, so the year is shaping up well for a good apple crop. It's too early for prices, but I expect most areas to see $14 to $30 a bushel, depending on variety! Scroll down the page to see the chart, or click here for a PDF print version. And for an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page! To see how to properly store apples for the winter, see this page!

Varieties which are exceptional for a trait are noted in the chart below (Best, very good, etc.). Varieties which are at least good and well-suited have an "X" in a column. A blank box simply means that they are average for the quality. Ultimately, it is personal preference and cultural traditions. that often determines which varieties of apples are used for which purpose. That said, sweeter and softer apples make the best applesauce (like Gala), harder, drier apples are often used for baking and storing (like Rome and Arkansas Black), and tarter, more crisp and juicier apples are often eaten fresh (like Honeycrisp). Finally, if you have an apple tree and want to know what variety it is, see this page.

Apple Varieties Guide by Harvest Date - Which Apple to Pick and Why!

If you would like to print a clean PDF version of this table, click here.

(Sorted by typical ripening date - see this page for sorted alphabetically on variety name)

Name	Ripening Date Dates are approximate and vary CONSIDERABLY with weather, location and more!	Eating fresh	Cooking	Apple Sauce	Apple Pie	Apple Juice	Apple Butter	Storage
Bevan's Favorite	early July		X
Pristine	early July	X	X					Must Refrigerate Very sweet, juicy, does not store well, bruises easily (like Gala)
William's Pride	early July	X	X
Lodi (aka, Yellow Transparent)	early July, even June some years	X		GOOD				Must Refrigerate
Zestar	mid-July to mid-August	X	X	X	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate
Gala	late July to early September	Very good	X	BEST	X	X	X	Must refrigerate; even then only keeps for a few weeks. But they are VERY sweet and flavorful, so if you are going to use it right away or make applesauce, it is excellent.
Ginger Gold	early August to early September	Very good	X	Very good	X		X
Redfree	Late July	X	X
Mollies Delicious	August		X					Must Refrigerate
Gravenstein	August	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate
Ozark Gold	Early August		X
Grimes Golden	August	X	X				X
Jersey Mac	August	X	X					OK
Earligold	August	X	X	X	X			Must Refrigerate
Detroit Red	early , August into September	X	X					Heirloom brought from France by settlers in the Detroit area, but then later planted by Thomas Jefferson, using grafted trees of Detroit Red in the nursery at Monticello in 1805.
Akane	August		X
Summer banana	August	X	X
PaulaRed	mid August to early September	X	X	X	X		X
SweeTango	mid August to early September	X		X	X		X
Empire	mid-August through September	X	X	X	X			A McIntosh type apple with a long shelf life. Aromatic and crisp with creamy white juicy flesh, sweet and tart
McIntosh	September	X		good		X	X
Honeycrisp	September	Very good	X	good, but watery	X	BEST	X
Virginia Gold	September	X	X
Jonathan	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X
Golden Delicious	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate
Ultra Gold	mid to late September	X	X	X	X	X	X
Cortland	mid to late September	X		X	X	X	X
Jonalicious	mid to late September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Must Refrigerate
Jonamac	mid to late September	X		Very good		X
Ambrosia	mid to late September	X	X	good	X	X	X	Should Refrigerate
Red Delicious	mid to late September	X		good			X	Red Delicious is one of the older apple varieties, discovered as a natural variant in Peru, Iowa in 1880. It does not generally store well. Unfortunately, it has been modified and bred to the point that most people find it rather tasteless. There are at least 30 variants of Red Delicious now and you never know which one you are getting. Yellow Delicious is better, as as JonaGold, Cameo and most other apples.
Envy	September	X	X	Very good	X	X	X	Envy apples are closely-related to Jazz, both are crosses between Gala and Braeburn, a trademarked variety of the Scilate apple. This is a new variety known for their crisp texture, sweetness, and balanced flavor. They are slightly larger than most apples, with a round shape, red skin and creamy yellow flesh. In 2024, they are grown in Washington state, New Zealand, and Chile.
Jonagold	mid to late September	X		Very good		X		Really good all-around apple.
Snowsweet	Late September, 2 weeks after HoneyCrisp	X		X	X	X	X	Good
Jubilee	mid September to early October	X	X	X	X
Mutsu, also called Crispin	Late September to early October	X	X	Very good	X		X	It's a good, sweet apple, like a Yellow Delicious, but stores better.
Keepsake	Late September to early October	X	X		X
Northern Spy	Late September to early October	X	X					Very good for storing
Shizuka	Late September to early October	X	X	X	X	X	X
Wild Crisp	October	Very good	X	good, but watery	X	BEST	X	Cross between Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink (AKA Pink Lady)Juicy, sweet, crisp, great for fresh eating or all-purpose, applesauce or in a fruit salad
Braeburn	early to Mid October	X	X	X	X
Cameo	early to Mid October	Very good	X	Very good	X		X
Rome	early to Mid October		X		X
Sundance	early to Mid October	X	X			X	X
Blushing Golden	early to Mid October	X	X		X	X	X
Stayman	late September	Very good	X	Very good			X
Enterprise	early to Mid October	X	X
Jazz	early to Mid October	X	X	Very good	X	X	X
Melrose	early to Mid October	X	X	Very good	X	X	X
Stayman Winesap	mid to late October	Very good	X	Very good		X
Granny Smith	mid to late October	X	X			X
Macoun	mid to late October	X	X
Liberty	mid to late October	X	X
Pink Lady	mid to late October	X	X	good	X	X	X
Suncrisp	mid to late October	X	X		X	X	X
Evercrisp	mid October until frost (November)	Very good	X	Very Good	X	BEST	X	Excellent storage due to it's parents (Fuji and Honeycrisp)
Yates	mid to late October	X	X		X	X		Stores very well
Autumn Crisp	mid to late October	X	X		X	X
Fuji	mid to late October	Very good	X	BEST	X		X	Great keeper; stores well in garage or basement
Black Twig	mid to late October	X	X	X	X	X	X
Arkansas Black	mid to late October		Baking	too hard				Great keeper

Of course, each region of the country and each season varies. Variations in rainfall and temperature greatly affect the usual ripening date. So call ahead!

Click here for detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics

Click here for a PDF print version of the following list. And for the following list on a page by itself, click here.

---

English Apple Varieties

These links take you to photos on GardenAction.co.uk

• Bramley - The English gush over this apple with a fever (fevour?:) that borders on mania. It's basically a granny smith type, a higher acid content and lower sugar apple, with a stronger, more tangy taste. Bramley's are considered to be an ideal cooking apple.
• Charles Ross
• Crispin
• Early Victoria
• Early Worcester
• Ellisons Orange
• Epicure
• Gibsons Scarlet
• Golden Spire
• Greensleaves
• Howgate Wonder
• Ingrid Marie
• James Grieve
• Jonagored
• Jupiter
• Katy
• Orleans Reinette
• Peasgood Nonsuch
• Red Gravenstein
• Red Victoria
• Rev W. Wilks
• Ribston Pippin
• Rosemary Russett
• Spartan
• Sturmer Pippin
• Sunset
• Superb
• Tydermans Late Orange
• Warners King
• Winston

More about apple varieties can be found:

University of Illinois Apple page

More Apple Varieties

Apple photos and brief descriptions

Credits:

photos:
Jonamac, Macoun, PaulaRed: Courtesy of New York Apple Association, © New York Apple Association

And if you are looking for shipping containers for apples and other fruit, see this page.

Canning Books, Supplies and Accessories

These are my favorite essential canning tools, books and supplies. I've been using many of these for over 50 years of canning! The ones below on this page are just the sampling of. my preferred tools. but you can find much more detailed and extensive selections on the pages that are linked below.

• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning
• Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
• Cherry pitters reviews, prices and ordering
• Steam Juicers
• Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

The Ball Blue Book of Home Canning

The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes Paperback

This is THE book on canning! My grandmother used this book when I was a child.; It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost anything; complete with recipes for jam, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning vegetables, meats, etc.

If it can be canned, this book likely tells you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no obligation to buy)The New Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving

Canning & Preserving For Dummies in Paperback

Canning and Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward

This is another popular canning book. Click here for more information, reviews, prices for Canning and Preserving For Dummies

Of course, you do not need to buy ANY canning book as I have about 500 canning, freezing, dehydrating and more recipes all online for free, just see Easy Home Canning Directions.

Home Canning Kits

McSunley 21.5 quart Water Bath Canner, Stainless Steel See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

I have several canners, and my favorite is the stainless steel one at right. It is easy to clean and seems like it will last forever. Mine is 10 years old and looks like new.

The black ones are the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce.

This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, Jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer,  It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. It's only missing the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book.

You will never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)!

The complete list of canners is on these pages:

• Water bath canners - Good for acidic foods, like applesauce, pickles, salsa, jams, jellies, most fruits
• Pressure canners - needed for low and non-acidic foods, like canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc), and meats
• Canners for glass top stoves if you have a glass or ceramic stove
• Canners for induction stovetops

 

Pressure Canners

If you plan on canning non-acidic foods and low acid foods that are not pickled - this means: meats, seafood, soups, green beans corn, most vegetables, etc., then you ABSOLUTELY must use a Pressure Canner.

Of course, you can use a pressure canner as a water bath canner as well - just don't seal it up, so it does not pressurize. This means a Pressure Canner is a 2-in-1 device. With it, you can can almost ANYTHING.

There are also other supplies, accessories, tools and more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

Canning Supplies Starter Kit - Canning Jar Lifter, Canning funnel, Scissor Tongs, more

Basic Canning Accessories

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lids- disposable - you may only use them once
4. Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars cool - then you remove them, save them and reuse them
5. Canning Jar funnel - to fill the jars

Strainers

These are very useful for making sauces like applesauce, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, jellies, etc. Below are my favorites. The complete list is on these pages:

• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

Inexpensive Old School Strainers: hand cranked Foley Food Mills

• The hand-cranked Foley food mill (see this page or clock the ad box) has been used for well over 100 years in homes all over America (and variants around the world). It is effective and inexpensive, and ideal for small batches.  However, if you need to make many quarts, you will sure end up with tunnel carpel syndrome or some other repetitive strain injury.

Norpro 1951 Manual Food Strainer and other brand stariners, with optional motors; (almost identical to Victorio V250, Villaware and Roma models, all discontinued)

This is The next step up from the Foley food mill. First, it's far more ergonomic, and its handle is easier to use. Next, it works in continuous mode rather than batch mode. So you can do much larger volumes easily. Finally, It has an optional motor, so you can. remove the manual labor.  It also offers many different size strainers to use for different types of berries, vegetables and fruit.

See the seller's website for more information, features, pricing and user reviews!

• A Johnny, Weston or Oxo strainer (about $60 - $100, see further down the page) or
• This trainer is. simply a more upscale and improved version of the one above.
• See this page for more information, reviews, descriptions of other strainers and supplies or to order!

Find this item (B09WDKLMPW) on Amazon

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

KitchenAid - Best Large Volume Strainers

If you're going to do large volumes of fruit or vegetables , or do it year after year, then. you really should think about getting a higher end kitchen. utility device. Kitchen aids are the cream of the crop. Once you buy one of these, you keep at the rest of your life and it gets handed down to the next generation. . My sister is using one she inherited from my mother 25 years ago, who got it in the 1940s as a wedding gift. So, although the initial cost is high, they literally last for many lifetime. So the cost on an annual basis is pretty trivial, especially when you consider the cost of therapy and treatment for. the repetitive strain injuries you will get from manual cranking day after day. Add to that of course the cost of therapy for the emotional injuries you'll get from going insane, standing there hand cranking something for hours.

KitchenAid's with a sieve/grinder (with the attachments, costs about $400, but it lasts a lifetime and is fast and easy to use - I can make 100 quart jars of applesauce per day with one of these).

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon  See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

FREE Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

Don't spend money on books. that you don't need to. Almost everything you can find in some book sold online or in a store is on my website here for free. Start with theEasy Home Canning Directions below. That is a master list of canning directions which are all based upon the Ball Bblue book, the National Center for Home Food Preservation and other reputable lab tested recipes. Almost every recipe I present in addition to being lab tested com. is in a step by step format with photos for each step and complete. explanations. that tell you how to do it, where to get the supplies and pretty much everything you need to know. In addition, there almost always in a PDF format so you can print them out and use them while you cook.

[ Easy Home Canning Directions]

[FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems]

[Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!]

[Free canning publications to download and print]