Cortland

DESCRIPTION

A large apple good for baking, with a deep, purple-red color and yellow streaks, Cortlands are considered moderately juicy and fairly sweet compared to the McIntosh. Their white flesh browns very slowly when sliced, making Cortlands a standout for fruit salads or served sliced with a plate of Vermont cheddar cheese. Writer Roger Yepsen describes the Cortland as a "friendly" apple in his book Apples. "The flavor is tart and tangy," he writes, "but not emphatically so, and juicy. It is a good apple to accompany a sandwich." He recommends it for pies, sauce, and cider, too. Cortlands ripen in late September or early October.

HISTORY

After the many attributes of McIntosh were discovered, plant breeders began crossing it with other varieties to enhance its traits. One of the earliest was the Cortland, developed in 1898 by crossing a McIntosh with a Ben Davis. This all purpose apple was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York.

RECIPES

Click here for 62 recipes that are suited to Cortland apples.