McIntosh apples are the classic northeastern fall apple, bright red over green with snow-white flesh, juicy and tender-crisp, with a sweet-tart flavor that leans refreshingly tart. Every McIntosh descends from a single tree that farmer John McIntosh found growing wild in a corner of his Ontario farm in 1811. That one tree bore fruit for more than ninety years, and its grafts made the Mac the apple of the Northeast, famous enough to lend its name, lightly respelled, to a well-known computer.
The Mac eats best cold and crisp out of hand, collapses into smooth, rosy applesauce, and brings aromatic tartness to fresh cider. In pies, it is best blended with firmer apples. It is at its peak in September and October. It pairs especially well with sharp cheddar, cinnamon, and maple.
