Many Types & Tastes of Apples

A few years back, I wrote a blog post describing the many tastes and types of pears but discovered that I haven’t discussed or answered your questions on the many different types of apples! With so many kinds of apples being introduced to the market these days, it can be difficult to know what’s what. In this post, I am going to talk about a few of our favorite apples here at Stemilt, including some of our very own Stemilt exclusive varieties!

Rave® – Meet Stemilt’s newest apple variety. With its bright fuchsia-red coloring and zippy flavor, Rave® is an extremely refreshing snack. Rave® does best when it is used for fresh application, like snacking or sliced and added to a green salad. Rave® is also now responsible for kicking off the apple season three weeks before any other variety in Washington State. Rave® is typically harvested in late July with the next variety coming off the trees nearly three weeks later.

Pinata® – If you need to escape to the tropics, then you better pick up a Pinata® apple. This apple comes from three heirloom varieties – Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Duchess of Oldenburg – to create a crisp, juicy apple that comes with a long-lasting pineapple finish. Pinata® is an excellent apple for both snacking and culinary purposes. Pinata® can withstand heat extremely well making it a great option for roasting or glazing or its excellent for snacking or topping on a bed of greens. Pinata® is available from November through July, conventionally and organically.

Honeycrisp – The apple that really needs no introduction. This deliciously sweet variety tastes best when it’s fresh. And here is a fun fact: did you know Honeycrisp’s original fate was actually no future at all? The apple was originally thrown into the discard pile, but apple researcher David Bedford took a second bite and decided to continue testing it! Thank goodness he did, or we wouldn’t have the extremely juicy, perfectly sweet apple we all love!

30 pages of apple recipes, tips, tricks, and hacks – all for you!

Fuji – This sweet apple is an extremely popular choice among our younger apple lovers thanks to its high Brix (sugar) levels! This beautiful bi-colored apple is the sweetest apple we grow here at Stemilt. Fuji’s flesh is fine-grain, creamy and juicy that comes with an ultra-sweet bite. Fuji apples taste best when used for fresh application, so think snacking and it also does great when making fresh apple juice!

Gala – Gala has a more mellow flavor profile than other varieties. This apple comes with a floral aroma and mild sweetness that follows with hints of vanilla making it great to snack on and ideal for throwing into a salad. We would suggest another variety when it comes to heated applications, but this apple is great for freezing or juicing.

SweeTango® – Sweet, tangy and delicious. This newer variety is a successor to the popular Honeycrisp variety and certainly living up to Honeycrisp’s expectations. SweeTango® has larger cells than most apples making it the apple with the loudest crunch on earth! SweeTango® is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar varieties. It tastes best when used for snacking, pairing or throwing it into a salad! It is available for a short time, August through November conventionally and August through October organically.

Pink Lady® Brand – This famously sweet-tart apple is a crowd favorite. It has a beautiful pink-hued skin, firm touch and effervescent finish, proving the Pink Lady® is perfect for any sort of application – cooking to snacking! Pink Lady® apples also have high sugars and high acids that make them slow to oxidize, or brown, when sliced. Pink Lady® originated from the land down under and was brought to the U.S. in the late 1990s.

Cosmic Crisp™ – Meet one of the newest apple varieties! Cosmic Crisp® brand WA38 cv apples hit store shelves in December 2019 after more than two decades of development. It comes from Washington State University and is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Enterprise apple varieties. Cosmic Crisp® has a remarkably firm and crisp texture, ample sweetness and is naturally slow to brown (or oxidize) so a great apple for a salad or cheese board. Stemilt is excited to be growing Cosmic Crisp® here in Washington State!