Apple Varieties at Chileno Valley Ranch

We have many varieties of delicious apples growing in our orchards. They ripen at different times throughout the season. Generally, 3 or 4 varieties are available at a time during Sunday u-pick.

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Arkansas Black was possibly raised by a settler called John Crawford in Arkansas in the 1840s, and certainly widely grown in Arkansas and Missouri later that century.  It is thought to be a seedling of Winesap. It goes almost black in storage, hence the name. It is good for eating fresh, cooking, drying, juice, and hard cider. It ripens late in the season and keeps for 3 months or more in the refrigerator. 

Candy Crisp is a glossy yellow apple with an extremely mild, somewhat pear-like flavor. It was discovered as a chance seedling growing in a Red Delicious orchard and therefore thought to be related. Great for eating fresh, generally not tart enough for cooking. It ripens later in the season and will keep 1 – 2 months in the refrigerator.

Enterprise has complex parentage, which includes McIntosh, Golden Delicious, and Rome Beauty. This is a late-ripening apple that is good for eating fresh, cooking, and drying. It will keep for 3 months or more.

GoldRush is an attractive smooth-skinned modern dessert apple. The flavor is typical of Golden Delicious (to which it is related) but with a bit more acidity. In addition to cooking, it can be eaten fresh or used for juice or hard cider. GoldRush is a late season apple that will keep in the refrigerator for 3 months or more.

Honey Crisp is a crisp and predominantly sweet apple. It is great for eating fresh and drying. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 months or more.

Jonafree is a bright red, medium-sized apple whose flavor is Jonathan-like (it’s one of its parents) but less acidic. It ripens late in the season and will keep for about 10 weeks in the refrigerator.

Molly’s Delicious features blushing red skin over a green background. It is sweet, crisp, and juicy, with a perfumed white flesh. It’s excellent for snacking and bakes nicely in pies and apple crisp. It will store in the refrigerator for up to 10 weeks. Molly’s Delicious ripens in late August and into early September. 

Mutsu originated in Japan in 1930 and is the offspring of Golden Delicious and Indo varieties. (It is the sibling of the Orin variety, which has the same parents.) Also known as Crispin, this apple is sharp (which is good for baking) but still pleasant to eat fresh. Mutsu keeps for 3 months or more in the refrigerator. 

Northern Spy is a very old-fashioned American variety, dating from the 1840s. It is good for eating fresh, cooking, drying, and juice. It is a late season apple and it keeps in a cold store well into spring.

Orin ripens late in the season and is good for eating fresh. It has a pale yellow interior that is sweet, juicy, and low in acid with a mild but definite flavor blend of pineapple and pear. Good for eating fresh or cooking.

Pink Lady® is one of the best-known modern apples. That name is actually a trademark and the variety is more correctly known as Cripps Pink. The variety was developed in the 1970s by John Cripps in Western Australia and is a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. This is a delicious apple for eating fresh, and will keep for 3 months or more in the refrigerator. This apple ripens late in the season.

Pinova is an attractive yellow apple with a pink/orange flush, and is also known as Pinata. It is good for eating fresh, cooking, and drying. It ripens later in the season and will keep for 3 months or more in the refrigerator.

Senshu is a Fuji-type apple with a wonderful sweet flavor and a crisp, juicy texture. It has pink stripes over green. This is a great apple for eating fresh and will keep in the refrigerator for 3 months or more.

Williams Pride is very crisp with firm flesh, and it keeps very well. It ripens in early August and is one of the best of the early apples. The large red fruit has a sweet rich spicy flavor. Great for eating fresh.

Wolf River is a well-known American cooking apple, notable for its large size. It is fairly sweet and doesn’t need much sugar added. It was introduced in the 1870s in Wisconsin, and it ripens in late September. Keeps for 1 – 2 months.

Zestar! is an early season apple with a good, crisp sweet-tart flavor. It is 60 – 85% red over a green base. Excellent for eating fresh or cooking, and will keep 1 – 2 months in the refrigerator.

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