Today I am taking a look at a classic American apple – the Jonathan. It has been around since the 1800s. It’s origin is sort of a mystery. Either Rachel Negus Higley and Esopus Spitzenburg discovered the tree and named it after someone named Jonathan. Whoever discovered it help create a long lasting legacy. This popular apple is easy to find in any grocery store during apple season. It also has been the parent of many different apple varieties including the Jonagold, a mix of Jonathan and Golden Delicious. The Jonathan is typically harvested in mid-September to mid-October, right in the heart of apple season.
My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 5
Tartness : 7
Apple Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 4
Juiciness: 6
Overall Feeling: I like Jonathans for baking. They have enough tartness to balance out the sweetness of any baked good. They don’t turn to applesauce when baked. They have a good amount of flavor and are average in crispiness and juiciness. I don’t really consider these to be out of hand eating apples. It’s too tart for me to just eat and so many other apples have a better texture than the Jonathan. Of course you can just bite into any apple, however I think the Jonathan shines the best in pies and cobblers.
Interested in learning more about apples?
4 pings
Eat Like No One Else − Apple Pie Pizza says:
October 4, 2010 at 6:59 am (UTC -6)
[...] the filling 2-3 baking apples (I used Jonathan. Check out my list of baking apples.) cinnamon nutmeg cloves brown [...]
Eat Like No One Else − Apple Variety Reviews says:
October 12, 2010 at 6:07 pm (UTC -6)
[...] Grimes Golden Jonathan [...]
Eat Like No One Else − Jonared Apple says:
November 9, 2010 at 7:13 am (UTC -6)
[...] Jonathan is a classic American apple. It has been used to produce other varieties of apples as well such as [...]
When Does Apple Season Begin, Peak, and End? » Eat Like No One Else says:
November 3, 2011 at 1:53 pm (UTC -6)
[...] Empire, and Rhode Island Greening apples are at their peak. And don’t forget about the Jonathans, they too are a September ripener. Still the best pie apples are yet to [...]