North Star Orchard

Apples

We currently grow more than 70 varieties of apples. Most of the varieties are either very new or heritage/antique varieties. The following alphabetized list includes details of those varieties that have borne fruit. Those without information are young trees, and we will update this list with information as it becomes available. Please note that many of our fruit varieties are grown in very limited quantities, and may not be available at our farmer's market locations, as we distribute particularly rare varieties to CSA members first.

Adam's Pearmain: (pictured) Small to medium sized, russety yellow with red blush. A classic antique variety, which is quite hard and really packs the flavor. I wouldn't call it tart, necessarily, but it's certainly not sweet. Intense and sugary-tart, perhaps...but certainly addictive! Early September.

Akane: Red, tart, and crisp.

Ambrosia: Medium-sized green and red. Very sweet, fine texture and juicy. This is probably an offspring of 'Gala', and you can tell. Mid-September.

Baldwin

Candy Crisp: Yellow and red, very sweet. The name says it all!

Caville Blanc: Yellow. Sweet, with rich complex flavor. Firm, but not crunchy.

Chehalis: Large, yellow, and tart-sweet. Firm, with a coarse texture and very juicy. Excellent dessert apple. Mid-August.

Crimson Crisp (Coop 39): Medium sized, cherry-red with some yellow, slightly sweet and sugary. Very hard and crunchy. This is a wonderful dessert apple and is excellent for baking due to its aroma and texture. Late August.

Dave's Delight

Eclipse (NY75441-67): Large size, very dark red/purple color. Slightly tart and very juicy. Skin is quite tough at the first bite, but then the delicious juicy flavor takes over and the apple is eaten before you know it! Addictive flavor...reminds me of fresh apple cider! Fine for eating or cooking. I understand they make a wicked-good apple dumpling. Late September.

Egremont Russet

Emperor (Coop 31): (pictured) Medium size, mottled dark to light red, but with a dull skin (there's nothing shiny about these). Nicely balanced sweet flavor, and are quite juicy considering how hard they are. In fact, these are possibly the hardest apples we've ever met! Early October.

Enterprize: Large size and dark red. Slightly tart to sweet. Fairly rich and perfumy flavor, firm texture. Excellent fresh eating, as well as for all cooking uses calling for sweeter apples. Dessert quality increases greatly after a few weeks in storage. Early October.

Esopus Spitzenberg: (pictured) Medium sized, dusky dark red with white speckles. Sugary-tart with a rich, aromatic flavor. Excellent dessert apple. This is reported to be Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple. Late September/early October.

Everready: Striped red and rustic. Slightly tart with pure apple flavor.

Florina: Medium sized, red, very sweet, and juicy. We nicknamed these "The Bubblegum Apple", not because you can blow bubbles with them, but because they are very sweet and have a lovely pink color, which reminds us of Bazooka! While sweet, they have a nice balanced flavor and a lovely crisp texture. An excellent dessert apple...and kids love the nickname! Late September.

Freyburg: Green/yellow. Slightly sweet, with hints of vanilla and anise flavors. Early September.

Fuji: Large size, pinkish color. Very sweet, with a rich perfumy flavor. Early October.

Gala: Very sweet and crisp. People who really know us are surprised we have 'normal old Gala'. Well, there's a story to it. Our single Gala tree was sent to us by mistake by the nursery, so Ike felt that he just had to plant it. (However, if it had been Red Delicious, it would have been out of luck!) Fortunately for us, it is one of the old, original strains of Gala, with its original pale color...so it is kind of an oddity after all. This is for the member of your family with a sweet tooth. Late August/early September.

Galarina: Red, slightly tart with a fruity flavor. Late September.

Golden Russet: (pictured) Small to medium sized, mostly russeted fruit with some yellow and orange peeking out from under the russet. This is a classic (400 year old variety) apple with a rich, sugary sweetish aromatic flavor. Pure juice of this variety has a subtle pear flavor. Distinctive firm texture, with non-breaking flesh. Seems odd at first, but they are really unlike any other apple. People who know them line up to get their hands on them. Great for snacking, but if the kids are suspicious because of their appearance....well, lucky you - you won't have to share! Great at wine and cheese events. Late September.

Golden Sun

Golden Supreme: Yellow, crunchy, and slightly sweet. Complex fruit flavor. Late August.

Gold Rush: (pictured) Medium to large size, green to yellow with red blush and some russeting. Hard, crunchy, tart and juicy. Develops an excellent and unique spicy/aromatic flavor after several weeks in storage. Keeps for months in a cool area or refrigerator. Excellent for all uses. Really!!! A favorite for pies, varietal cider and drying. Dried Gold Rush are addictive. We use an American Harvest dehydrator...check our 'links' page for more information about dehydrators. Mid-October.

Goldstar: Early October.

Grimes Golden: Yellow. Slightly spicy, yet sweet. Mid-September.

Honeycrisp: Stripey red/yellow. Very sweet and crunchy. Has a rich, complex flavor for such a sweet apple. Late August.

Hudson's Golden Gem: (pictured) Large and smooth, although completely russeted. Rich, sweet flavor. This is the most recently introduced russeted variety (released in the 1940's)...a "must have" for the heirloom apple grower. Late September.

Initial

Jefferis

Jonagold: Slightly sweet and crisp, with a very nice aromatic flavor. Early to mid-September.

Keepsake

Kidd's Orange Red: Sweet and aromatic. It is a parent of Gala. Mid-September.

Liberty: Macoun cross. Medium sized and quite juicy, green with some red blush. Flavor changes rapidly from a tart and mild flavor at harvest to a slightly tart, rich perfumy flavor and aroma a few weeks after harvest. Excellent for fresh eating, and excellent for pies, tarts and crisps....and they're great in apple cake! Early September.

Melrose: Red, slightly sweet. Rich and lingering aromatic flavor. Mid- to late September.

Monolith: Medium sized and red. Don't let the red color fool you...this is an apple that'll bite you back! Very tart and intense. It has a great crunch and is quite juicy. A variety from our own breeding program. Late August.

Newton Pippin: Medium sized, yellow-green with speckles and some russet. Has a handsome rustic appearance. Somewhat tart, but has a sugary, rich fruity flavor. Very juicy with fine hard texture. In the 1800's, it was the most popular apple in the Mid-Atlantic region. Late October.

Nova: On the small side, and green with red blush. Slightly tart, yet fruity flavor. Delicate skin and flesh texture. Makes a nice apple for the lunchbox or a mid-afternoon snack. Late August.

Novaspy: Very large and dull red. Flavor very similar to Northern Spy (a bit tart and juicy), with a dash of vanilla thrown in. Late September.

Orin: (pictured) Large and pale green, with pronounced lenticels. Lightly sweet flavor, with a lovely crunch. Our son proclaims them, "Very easy to eat", and he should know, since he eats 2 or 3 of them a day when they're in season. Late October.

Pink Sugar: Large, very light pink. Dangerously sweet (seriously!) and fruity. Early September.

Pixie Crunch (Coop 33): Medium sized, dark red. Very crunchy and sweet, with an unusual flavor. Late August.

Premiere: (pictured) Large size, with a rich flavor. Very aromatic with hints of honey and cider. Has a great crunch. An intense eating experience. Mid-August.

Priscilla: Small and red. Spicy flavor; slightly tart to sweet. Late August.

Princessa: Medium sized. Slightly sweet, crispy and juicy, with a perfumy aroma. Mid-August.

Pristine: Medium sized, and bright yellow. Slightly tart and very fruity. Mid-July.

Pumpkin Russet: Sweet, with mild fruity flavor.

Rajka: Medium size, dark red. Similar to Jonathan in flavor.

Razor Russet: I always love russet apples..they seem to have the best flavor! Interestingly, this is a fairly new, fully russeted strain that comes from "Golden Delicious". It is what growers call a 'sport' of Golden Delicious...that is to say that is is a naturally occurring genetic mutation that was discovered and then propagated because it is so good. (Honestly, Golden Delicious is tasty if you can find them tree-ripened!). The flavor of these are even a bit richer than a truly good Golden Delicious. Sweet, crisp, and juicy. You'll be amazed! Delightful! Mid-September.

Rebella: Medium sized, dark red. Very aromatic flavor. Similar to Resi.

Redfree: Medium sized and red. Slightly sweet and juicy with tender, crisp flesh. Late July.

Reinette Simerenko: Small to medium sized. Green, with some pink color. Very tart and quite juicy, and has a somewhat "tropical fruit/citrus" flavor. The flavor can really grow on you! An old Eastern European variety, they are very popular with customers and CSA members who hail from Easter Europe, but we find that we like them too! Early October.

Resi: Medium sized and dark red. Very aromatic flavor. Similar to Rebella.

Royalty (NY75413-30): (pictured) Very large bright red fruit, with hints of green occasionally. This is a cross of Liberty by Red Delicious, with slightly tart to sweet, rich perfumy flavor. (Don't worry, it does not taste like Red Delicious!) Good for fresh eating, baking, pies, and sauce. Great as slices with peanut butter. Some Royalty have 'honeycore' (glossy splotches within the flesh of the fruit), which indicates areas that are saturated with sugar. Yum! Mid September.

Rubinette: Medium sized, yellow with some russet. On the tart side, with complex aromatic flavor. Early September.

Russet Beauty: Don't judge an apple by its cover...these are quite tasty and firm. Sometimes, the homely apples are the most interesting! Early September.

Sansa: Medium sized, pink to light red. Very sweet, crunchy, and fruity. Late July.

Shenshu: Medium sized, dull green with some red. Has a sweet, well-balanced flavor and texture. Delightful eating....don't let the green color fool you! Early September.

Shizuka: Very large and greenish/yellow. Very sweet and juicy, with a coarse, crisp texture. Nice for fresh eating or to serve as slices with dinner. Mid-September.

Silken: Yellow and very crunchy. Sweet and fruity flavor.

Snow Sweet: Red and sweet. Late September.

Spigold: Large, red/green. Very crisp and juicy. Fairly sweet, the flavor reminds me somewhat of apple cider. Late September.

Splendor: Red and pink. Slightly sweet complex fruity flavor. Late September.

Stars (NY 75414-1): (pictured) A Liberty by McIntosh cross. This is a smaller apple, green with red blush. White speckles in the blush are the 'stars'. It is thin-skinned and tender-fleshed. Nice flavor and aroma - similar to Macoun, which does not do well in PA. Excellent fresh eating apple for McIntosh and Macoun lovers. Also makes good sauce. Late August.

Stayman 201: Classic red variety. Tart, with brisk fruity flavor. Early October.

Stellar: Large size, beautiful golden color with blush. Excellent, sweet flavor, very juicy and crisp. Excellent dessert quality. Around here, we like these way better than Honeycrisp, both for its eating qualities and growth habit. It will never be a 'commercial' variety because it bruises too easily...bummer! Late September.

Sugar Snap (NY74840-1): (pictured) Dark red striped fruit, NY58524-14 by Empire cross. The name says it all! These are primarily for fresh eating - on the tart side, with a sugary component as well. Not-too-sweet and not-too-tart, I call them sweet-tart...great flavor and crunch, and quite juicy. I think they have the quintessential apple flavor and texture. Mid-September.

Summer Blaze (Dayton): Medium/large size, greenish with some red blush. Slightly tart to slightly sweet, with great crunch and juiciness. Subtle fruit flavor. Amazing flavor for an early eating apple! Early August.

Summer Rambo: Antique variety. Sugary-tart, and traditionally used for applesauce-making. Mid-September.

Suncrisp: Large sized and yellow, with a rich flavor that varies from intense to very intense, with hints of a banana-type flavor. Mid-October.

Sundance: Yellow, sweet,and crunchy. Tropical punch flavor.

Super Nova: Red and green, crisp and slightly tart with a mild apple-y flavor. They make excellent varietal pie, and they're so big that it doesn't take many of them to do so. Apple crisp works well for them too, as does sharing them with the whole family at dinner, as it is the rare individual who could eat a whole one! Early October.

Sweet Sixteen

Topaz: Red, slightly tart. Late September.

Tsugara: (pictured) Medium sized and red. Very sweet and tender, great for fresh eating. Mid-August.

Winter Joy: Medium size, yellow and rustic-looking. Crunchy with lemony tartness. Late October.

York Imperial