Spartan Apples

Taste: Spartan is an easily recognizable apple. It has dark, plum-red skin that tends to bleed into the tender white flesh beneath for a beautiful effect. It’s sometimes referred to as a “Mac Baby” because, like many modern apples, it’s a descendent of the McIntosh apple and has many similar characteristics. Fine textured and bursting with juice, Spartan is an excellent juicing apple for sweet or alcoholic ciders.

Nutritional Info:

• Low in calories, high in water content and offer a fair amount of vitamins A, C and B

• High in folic acid and the dietary fiber pectin, which help promote a healthy heart

When To Look For Spartan Apples: Spartans are mid-season apple and are usually available beginning in early October.

Best Uses for Spartan Apples: Spartan is similar to McIntosh in many respects, but has a better texture for cooking than McIntosh, which tends to turn mushy. Spartans are excellent cooking apple that maintain its shape and flavor when baked into pies, crisps and turnovers. The flavor of Spartan apple also pairs well with blue cheese and other strong, savory flavors like rosemary, ginger, or walnuts.

How to Store Spartan Apples: Spartan apples tend to lose their flavor if stored for long periods of time. The best thing to do is buy them fresh and eat them throughout the season. Keep them like you'd keep other apples in your fridge, but unfortunately these aren't ones to try and hold onto for the winter.