Apple Gift Boxes

Send a gift box of delicious, healthy apples! Select two of your favorite varieties or perhaps two new ones, and Alyson’s will ship these in an apple gift box directly to you or the person of your choice. Print and complete the order form. You can order your gift box by fax, mail, and phone or simply by stopping by Alyson’s farm stand up at the orchard. Unfortunately, you may not place your order online as this is not a secure site.

Today, most varieties of apples that you will find in the grocery store are varieties developed by researchers in their quest for the “perfect” apple. Many of these efforts have produced lovely eating apples, varieties that are proudly grown here at Alyson’s.

Alyson’s is also renowned for growing heirloom apples, which are the great grandfathers and great grandmothers of these modern apple varieties. Heirloom apples are varieties that have existed for over 2oo years, often dating back into the 1700’s and 1800’s.

Heirloom apple varieties are extremely rare and grown by only a small number of dedicated orchards. They cannot be found in your local grocery store. At Alyson’s, we take great pride on our success in resurrecting these lost varieties, which are often superior in taste to their modern grandchildren apple varieties.

Shipping will commence in August. Please call us at (603) 756-9800 for additional information and questions.

Listed below are apples available by month.

*Heirloom apple

August/September

Paula Red – Early apple, hard and crisp with sweet, full flavor.

Ginger Gold – With a sweet and tangy flavor, the Ginger Gold is excellent for eating out of hand, but its ability to hold its shape also makes it an excellent cooking apple: perfect for baking.

Sansa – This sweet, early apple is much like a pear in its texture and flavor.  Its flesh is green-white, firm but tender, and juicy.

September/October

McIntosh – The most crisp, juicy and flavorful McIntosh apples are found in the orchards of Northern New England where warm, sunny days and frosty autumn nights prevail.

Gala – Texture and taste are similar to a Golden Delicious, but Gala is a crisper and has a distinct spicy flavor.  Galas are excellent for eating out of hand, and for pies, sauces and cider.

Cortland – A great apple for baking, Cortlands won’t turn brown as quickly as other apples when cut.  Perfect for snacking – crisp, juicy and not too sweet.

Jonagold – A cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious.  Jonagold is an excellent sweet-tart dessert apple.  They have a creamy yellow flesh and are noticeably crisp and juicy.  They are good for pies.

Liberty – Great apple for eating out of hand.  The white flesh is crisp, juicy and flavorful.

Honey Crisp – As the name suggests, this is a large, juicy, extra sweet apple and is one of the most sought after at Alyson’s.

Macoun – Another all-purpose East Coast favorite.  This highly prized apple is crisp, juicy and sweetly tart.  Like the McIntosh, it is tender-fleshed.

*Cox’s Orange Pippin – It was first grown in England 200 years ago.  Today, the dry orange apple is a specialty of Alyson’s.  These apples are superb for eating, and good for cooking sauces and cider.  A pie made with these will be wonderfully pear scented.

*Black Gilliflower -  Also known as “Sheep’s Nose” this variety dates back to the early 1700’s.  While not juicy, it is aromatic and has a pleasant flavor.  Good for baking and drying and also to mix into cider.

*Blue Permain – A New England variety that was well known in this part of the country by the early 1800’s.  Visitors are often stopped in their tracks by the sight of its dark purplish skin.  This variety’s waxy, somewhat tough skin yields to crisp, tender, fine- grained flesh.  The flavor is rich and a bit tart. A longtime favorite for cider and baking.

*Ashmead’s Kernel – Grown first in the 1700’s, its skin is russeted and its flesh, crisp and extremely tart.  When eaten fresh, it can be a bit like eating a crunchy lemon, but the Ashmead’s flavor mellows out the longer it is kept in storage- and they do store well.  They are also good for cider.

*Black Oxford – A New England original found in the 1700’s in Oxford, Maine.  It is a medium sized purple apple, almost black.  Its sweet flavor is balanced with a touch of tartness.  It keeps exceptionally well and is so hard and crisp it was once referred to as “the rock.”  Good for fresh eating, cooking and cider.

*Hudson’s Golden Gem – This apple was discovered as a chance seedling at Hudson’s Nurseries in Oregon in 1931.  This apple is a “gem in the rough.”  Don’t let the fruit with dull – rough skin and heavy russeting fool you- inside is a sweet, juicy flesh with a delicate, almost pear-like flavor.  It keeps well.

October/November

Empire – A cross between McIntosh and Delicious.  Empires develop their flavor slowly through the late summer and early autumn.  When other apple varieties have begun to lose condition, Empires are still crisp, aromatic and full of flavor.

Red Delicious – The classic American apple is renowned for its beauty.  Its yellow flesh can be juicy, somewhat tart, and highly aromatic.

Fortune – A descendent of the Northern Spy, this large, red apple is crisp, juicy and tart. Great for eating and cooking.

Mutsu – The Japanese bred apple is a favorite of Alyson’s proprietors.  The Mutsu (also known as Crispin) is an outstanding all-purpose apple. Great for snacks, sauces, pies and cider.  It is crisp and juicy.  The rich, sweet flavor is unlike any other apple grown in New England.

Fuji – Originated in Japan, this fruit is crisp, sweet, juicy and stores well.  Its popularity is well deserved.

*Espous Spitzenburg – This variety was found in the late 1700’s on a farm near Esopus, a town in New York’s Hudson Valley.  It was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.  The flesh is pale yellow, firm, crisp and tender, with an aromatic, spicy character.  It ranks among the best dessert apples and is suited for baking. 

*Winesap – Winesap is thought to have come from New Jersey.  By 1817 it was recorded as an important cider apple in the state.  Beneath its sturdy skin, the yellow flesh is firm and very juicy with a powerful sweet-sour contrast and has a characteristic winy flavor and aroma.

*Baldwin – Discovered before the 1750’s near Lowell (now Wilmington), MA, this apple was the first true commercial apple in the United States.  Balwin is a squat, medium sized apple, pale green, with deep red to maroon blush.  It has a lively sweet-tart flavor.  It is excellent for eating fresh, and is good for cider and sauce.

*Northern Spy – First found in New York near or around the 1800’s.  It’s known as one of the best pie apples, as well as one of the best loved apples for eating out of the hand.  The yellow white flesh is juicy and sweet tart with high vitamin C content.

*Roxbury Russett – The oldest American-born apple, from a tree Roxbury, MA in the late 1600’s.  The texture is crisp and hard; some liken the flavor to that of a pear, and others to a coconut.  They store well and make excellent pies and cider.

To order please click on the button below to print out our order form.
To order you can fax, mail or call us.

Alyson’s Orchard

PO Box 534, Walpole, NH 03608

PH: (603)756-9800    FAX: (603)756-9555
E-mail: info@alysonsorchard.com      www.alysonsorchard.com

 Please Call, FAX or Mail your order to us!