Macoun Apples
By: Barnaby Dorfman
Published: October 21, 2008

I grew up in New York and Vermont and have always had a belief that Northeastern apples are better than Washington apples. Now I know that will be offensive to a lot of people in my adopted state of Washington, but fear not Washington Apple Commission, I am hereby declaring that I was WRONG! I've been tasting various Washington apples at farmers' markets and am really enjoying them, but I was still missing my all-time favorite, the Macoun. Never heard of it? Well, that's a mighty shame. The Macoun (pronounced MaCowan) is an apple from New York State that was developed as a hybrid in the 1930s. I love it because it is crunchy and juicy with bright white flesh and a beautiful combo of red and green on the skin. Macouns have the perfect balance of sweet and sour for my taste. They are great for cooking, eating sliced with a nice sharp cheddar cheese, or simply biting into and enjoying. Then it happened last weekend...I found Macouns at the West Seattle Farmer's Market. Big thanks to Stina Booth and John Richardson, of the Booth Canyon Orchard in Carlton, Washington, for growing these fantastic apples!

Comments:
Jason Sheldon
October 21, 2008

As a New Yorker and a former apple seller, Macouns are my absolute favorite apple too.  To bad their season is so short and they lose their crispness so fast.  I should get my parents to mail me some.
redman

wow, what a blast from the past!  I went to culinary school in the hudson valley of NY and on weekends sold apples for an old family orchard up there, and had totally forgotten about these apples!  It's amazing how many varieties of apples are out there.  I think the most I ever had to sell at one time was 26.
Megan

Is a Macoun similar to a MacIntosh apple? They look alike!
Barnaby Dorfman

The Macoun is a cross between a McIntosh and a Jersey Black. I would say they have some similarities, but tend to be crisper and a bit more sour. That's based on memory though, at some point I should do a side-by-side taste comparison.
Cass Nevada

Barnaby--long time since I've been meaning to trek thru your site, here at last, ogling the apples you got at my own fave farmer's market: west seattle.  I'll pick these up next Sunday, can't wait.  Myself, I love a good Cameo--short season, old fashioned, sweet/tart and crisp.  I think the short season keeps it a secret fave.