Discover the famous Esopus Spitzenburg apple known to be the favorite apple of the third ever President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. This apple with the strange name is a flavorful apple worth seeking out.
If you are both an apple lover and a history buff you are going to be super excited to hear about the apple variety I am talking about today. The Espous Spitzenburg apple (that I am just going to call Spitzenburg from here on out to make life easier) has it's claim to fame as being the favorite apple of Thomas Jefferson.
📜 History
Before this country won it's independence, an apple seedling was discovered along the banks of the Hudson River. The "Esopus" part of the name came from the nearby settlement of Esopus in what is known now as Ulster County, New York in the middle 1700s.
The apple grew in popularity in the 1800s where it was widely planted. Overtime it fell out of favor.
A reason why you may not have heard of this apple before is that it is one of the most difficult to grow. It is susceptible to basically every known apple tree disease there is. This is not good for bountiful harvest, which is what the food industry is after.
👓 Appearance
The apple is known for it's white spots on top of a bright red background. The apples can be red nearly all the way around with some yellow color. You may even see a little bit of an orange shade between the red and yellow color on the skin. In general, I categorize it as a red apple.
Apples that are allowed to fully mature on the tree should have more of the red color. The apple ripens in mid October or so, but you may see orchards picking them earlier than that. I have seen them in mid to late September. I think for best flavor try to get them more into October.
FYI - The Spitzenberg apple is known as the parent of the Jonathan apple which in turn is the father of several other apple varieties including Jonagold, making Spitzenberg a proud grandpa!
⭐ Ratings
Here is what I thought when I had this apple for the first time.
| Tart | 7 |
| Sweet | 7 |
| Juiciness | 5 |
| Flavor | 9 |
| Crispiness | 6 |
Spitzenberg is a very tasty apple indeed. The flavor is strong and it has a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. It's not the most crisp or juicy apple I have ever had, but certainly not mealy, soft, or dry. It's an apple I think worth seeking out and that everyone should try out.
You can enjoy this apple out of hand, and it would make a great addition to homemade applesauce or a homemade pie. For applesauce, mix it with some sweet apples, and for pie, mix it with some tart apples. It's also an exceptional cider apple.
Eating Tips - The apple improves in flavor in storage. If you have the space, keep some in your fridge for a month an give them a try then. For more on getting how to know when an apple is perfect to eat, check out this post
🛒 Where to Buy
Here are all the locations that I know of. I have not seen them in a grocery store as of this writing. Make sure to leave a comment below if you know any additional orchards.
- Door Creek Orchard (Cotton Grove, WI)
- Mt. View Orchards (Hood River, OR)
- Kiyokawa Family Orchards (Parkdale, OR)
- Fishkill Farms (Hopewell Junction, NY)
- Three Springs Farm (Aspers, PA)
- Scott Farm Orchard (Dummerston, VT)
- Rittman Orchards (Doylestown, OH)
- Ela Family Farms (Hotchkiss, CO)
- Hidden Gem Orchards (Southbury, CT)
- Cullipher Farm (Virginia Beach, VA)
- Soons Orchard (New Hampton, NY)
- Branstool Orchards (Utica, OH)
- Smolak Farms (North Andover, MA)
- Norman's Orchard (Tarentum, PA)
🍎 Give These Apples a Try
Want to try some other heirloom apples? Here are some other must try ones:
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.
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