Loyalist

Why you should be excited

Loyalist is a little-known Canadian fresh-eating and cooking apple with good flavour, texture and keeping ability.

The story of Loyalist

One of the benefits of having a fairly extensive website is that other apple fanatics tend to find us and – when we’re lucky – let us know about their favourite varieties, sometimes even sharing a stick or two of wood so we can graft it and see for ourselves.

John Henderson of Sage Hen Farm in Lodi, New York is one of those fanatics and he let us know about Loyalist, an apple that stood out for him when he sampled numerous varieties while wandering the orchards of Cornell University’s Agricultural Experiment Station.

John sent us a couple of sticks along with his observations of the variety, which he found has brisk, well-balanced flavour and good, firm texture, along with the ability to keep very well.

Loyalist Facts

Its origins:

Bred in Quinte West, Ontario, Canada; 1979 introduction.

Flavour, aroma, texture

Brisk, well-balanced flavour and firm texture.

Appearance

A pretty medium-sized apple with red covering green-yellow.

When they’re available

Mid-late season (in our orchard: mid-September).

Quality for fresh eating

Good.

Quality for cider

Not known for use in cider. Part of our modern blend.

Quality for cooking

Good.

Keeping ability

Excellent (5-6 months when kept refrigerated).