What Apples to Buy in the Summer?
In this newsletter, I will talk about my go to apples when it comes to shopping for them in the summer time.
It’s summertime, which is both the worst and best time to buy apples.
People often think of apples as a fall fruit, but if we’re going strictly by the calendar, there are actually plenty of apples harvested before the official first day of fall.
For this newsletter, I’m focusing on apples that are available before the main harvest really ramps up in September.
The first apples come off the trees in July, but what should you be buying in the meantime? This time of year, I’m always looking for apples that are still crisp and hope they have some flavor. It’s really the same varieties I’ve been recommending over the last couple of months—apples like Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady, SugarBee, Wild Twist (harder to find), Kanzi (harder to find), and EverCrisp are still solid choices. Envy might be good too, though I haven’t had one recently. If you spot any New Zealand-grown apples, they might actually be fresher. I haven’t seen any myself since I’m currently so close to Washington.
That said, I have to admit—I’m not buying many apples right now. With peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cherries all in season, those are the fruits I’m reaching for. Even an apple lover like me needs a little break!
Early Season Varieties
The first apples to ripen are usually tart and don’t store well. In July, look for Transparent and Lodi apples. These are orchard or farmers market apples only—they go bad quickly. I mean I have actually seen these apples begin to crack through the skin! Don’t believe me? Look at this picture:
That being said, they make fantastic applesauce. That’s really the only use I enjoy them for.
As we move into August, a few more varieties begin to appear before the big September push. Here’s a quick rundown of some of them, I think are worth mentioning:
Pristine – A yellow apple that’s on the sweeter side for an early variety. Best eaten fresh or turned into applesauce quickly.
Gravenstein – My favorite early-season apple. When picked at peak ripeness and eaten soon after, they’re one of the best all-around apples. Excellent for fresh eating, baking, cider, and applesauce.
Paula Red – Crisp and tart when first picked, they soften and sweeten with time.
Ginger Gold – Another early favorite. More tart when greener; can be a flavorful sweet-tart apple if you catch them just right. I’ve found the consistency of these to be hit or miss.
Jersey Mac – An early McIntosh-style apple.
Vista Bella – Not very common. I’ve only had them a few times, but they can be decent—on the tart side.
Zestar! – One of the parent apples of SweeTango. Has excellent flavor, balancing sweet and tart notes. A great way to kick off apple season.
Rave – The first early-season apple widely available in grocery stores. It’s not my favorite, but it’s not bad either—more tart than sweet.
Prima – I had the chance to pick these straight off the tree in Maine one summer. When perfectly ripe, they had great sweetness and juiciness. The flavor faded quickly after harvest, so enjoy them right away.
I’ll be doing a special newsletter on the September-ripening apples when the time comes, so keep an eye out for that!
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Did you know that I have a podcast that shares about the history of different apple varieties and what their future may hold? It’s called the Apples from Yesterday to Tomorrow podcast. Here are some of most popular episodes so far:
There are also some guides you should check out that will help you find the best apples each month of the year and whatever store you are at. You can get a preview of them right now and see the full guides if you become a premium subscriber.
If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I hoped you enjoyed today’s newsletter.