Apple season in Vermont is in full swing! While we all have our favorites, this is the perfect time to branch out and try something new. Popular apples, like Macintosh and Honeycrisp, can be found year-round (although nothing beats them fresh off the tree), but heirloom apples and modern varieties are a special treat—available only during the harvest season.

Here’s a few you can find at the markets:

Cornish Gilliflower

Beloved for its distinctive fragrance, this apple carries a subtle clove-like aroma in both fruit and blossom—its name likely derived from the French word girofle (clove). With its handsome green skin, flushed with red-orange and flecked with russeting, the Cornish Gilliflower is as beautiful as it is flavorful.

Quick facts:

• A highly regarded heritage eating apple, producing one of the finest dessert apples under proper growing conditions.
• Originated as a chance seedling in a cottage garden at Truro, Cornwall (U.K.) in the early 1800s.
• Very firm, dry, and sweet.

Gravenstein

Originating in 17th-century Denmark, from the town of Gråsten near the German border, the Gravenstein is a striking apple with coppery, crayon-like flames glowing red-orange against a yellow-green background. Exceptional when eaten fresh, it also enhances the start of the sweet cider season and shines in sauce, pies, and drying. This early-season variety rounds out the “all-purpose” definition with flair. Available mid-August through mid-September.

Quick facts:

• Distinctive sweet-tart taste with floral and honey notes, balanced by a crisp, juicy texture.
• Medium to large, round fruit with thin, waxy skin.
• Yellow-green background with red-orange blotches.

Marshall McIntosh (“Marshall Mac”)

A beloved early-season McIntosh selection, this apple shares its parent’s juicy, aromatic, sweet-tart qualities but develops more red color and ripens earlier.

Quick facts:

• Considered the highest-quality early-season McIntosh.
• Discovered in Massachusetts.
• Ripens in early September.

Mollie’s Delicious

This attractive apple has smooth, thin, firm skin with a yellow-green base, covered in pink-red striping and blush. Light tan lenticels scatter across the surface, and a deep stem cavity tops the fruit. Its pale yellow to white flesh is crisp, juicy, and slightly granular, with a sweet-tart, subtly acidic flavor.

Quick facts:

• Excellent for fresh eating, but also makes sweet jellies and applesauce.
• Similar in shape, color, and flavor to Golden Delicious.
• Ripens late August to early September.

Sansa

Developed in Japan as a cross between Gala and Akane, the Sansa is an early-season apple with a crisp texture and a sweet, juicy flavor balanced by slight tartness. Its red skin, streaked with yellow, makes it as eye-catching as it is delicious. Best enjoyed fresh, as it does not store well.

Quick facts:

• Balanced sweet-tart flavor with notes of cane sugar and grapefruit.
• Medium-sized fruit with red skin and yellow streaking.
• Ripens in late summer through early fall.

Silken

Introduced in Canada in 1999, the Silken is a medium-sized apple with a unique translucent cream-colored skin, sometimes blushed with pink. Its crisp, juicy flesh offers a sweet flavor with moderate acidity. Among the very first fall apples, it’s best enjoyed fresh, though it will keep for about a month in cold storage.

Quick facts:

• Named after Canadian Olympic rower Silken Laumann.
• Cross between Honeygold and Sunrise.
• Available only for a short season in early fall.