If you are a Jonathan apple fan, then you need to check out the Jonared apple.
📋 What's New In This Post (8/16/25) - Added some new links.
The Redder Jonathan
Back in the fall of 2009, my love affair with apples really took off. I was buying every variety of apple I could get my hands on at the Saline Farmers Market in Michigan. I wanted to taste then all. I didn't really know alot about apple varieties then. Fast forward to the present day and now I have a newsletter and podcast all about different apple varieties. A lot has changed over the years.
In those early days, I found some apples labelled as Jonared at that farmers market. The Jonathan is a classic American apple. It has been used to produce other varieties of apples as well such as the Jonagold. When I discovered the Jonared, I assumed it was a mix of a Jonathan and a Red Delicious. However this is not the case. Let me share with you all I know about this apple variety.
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📜 History
The Jonared apple is actually a sport variety of the Jonathan that was discovered in Washington during the 1930s. Botanically speaking it is a Jonathan apple still. The unique characteristics of a Jonared is that the skin actually bleeds into the flesh underneath. Also the apple is quite small to medium in size.
🚜 When Are They Harvested?
These apples are harvested around the same time as the standard Jonathan apple, which would be around mid September, but Jonared can be slightly earlier than Jonathan.
👅 What Does It Taste Like
Here is my review of this apple. Categories are on a scale of 1-10.
| Crispiness | 3 |
| Tartness | 7 |
| Flavor | 7 |
| Sweetness | 5 |
| Juiciness | 9 |
This is a very juicy apple that has good flavor and is more tart than sweet. You can use it like you would any other Jonathan apple.
These apples make beautiful applesauce. If you keep the skins on when cooking and remove them with a food mill later, your sauce will have a red tint to it. I think that is a reason enough to seek out these apples. If you can't find them they are pink flesh apples like Pink Pearl and Lucy Glo that make for colorful applesauce too.
Unless you like a tart applesauce you will need to add sugar or honey. I recommend throwing in a couple sweet apples like Fuji or Gala so the sauce will be naturally sweet.
🛒 Where to Buy
I didn't find a ton of different orchards that say they grown them. Strangely enough I didn't find any listings in Washington, despite being where this apple was discovered.
- Randall Orchards (Monmouth, ME)
- Norman's Orchard (Tarentum, PA)
- Ledge Top Farm (Wilton, NH)
- Brookside Farms (Ostego, MI)
- Kennette Orchards (Lakeshore, ON)
- Camp’s Orchard (Macomb, IL)
Have you tried this apple? What did you think? Leave a comment below telling us. Be a helper and share where you found it. You may make someone's day with your insider info on where to get them! If you are a true apple lover, you'll want to check out all of our apple reviews.
patrick easterling
I grow organic apples in Logan, Utah. The Jonared has almost no coddling moth worms, while the others are pretty infected. I think it's because the skin is so tough. It's a 12 foot dwarf with small deep red apples. I love the taste, and Jonathans are a cider blending favorite. But the skin is quite tough, it's an apple l might peel. We make applesauce and one year my baby grandson was just getting introduced to foods, so we made some applesauce with no sugar or spices. The sauce made from Jonared was everyone's favorite! We'd open a Mason jar and what the baby didn't finish after a few days, the family would quickly finish off. It was better than all the other sauces, Northern Spy, Mac, Cortland, Jonagold, etc., that had sugar snd spices, and l plan to make more.
pat
discovered 1930 by William Uecher at Peshastin, Washington,USA and introduced in 1934
Eric Samuelson
Hey Patrick, thanks for sharing your experiences with this apple variety. Logan is a beautiful place to be growing apples.