Empire apple

Malus domestica

One of the best McIntosh-style apples

Empire apple photo tape

Parentage: McIntosh x Delicious
Origin: USA
Introduced: 1945
Season: Nov-Jan
Apple cultivar ID: 102100


In North America deep red apples have always been popular, and Empire is a typical example of this style of apple. The colour is an intense marroon-red, overlying a light green background, and for children in particular it shouts out "eat me". This must surely be the one the Wicked Queen offered Snow White !

Empire was developed in the USA in the 1940s, and its parents are classic old North American varieties - Delicious (not to be confused with Golden Delicious) and McIntosh. These are both shiny red apples. Empire is a sweet apple with a crisp texture and bright white flesh. It is an ideal lunch-box apple, not least because it does not bruise easily.

The McIntosh style of apple is not especially well-known in the UK, although Empire's close cousin Spartan is also sometimes available here. Both Empire and Spartan are very sweet, especially when eaten straight from the tree. They are characterised by quite a noticeable non-apple flavour, often described in apple textbooks as "vinous". Perhaps the best way to describe it is like a hint of melon or pineapple or elderflower, and in a good year it certainly brings an extra dimension to the flavour of these apples.



Relationships to other apple varieties

Parents and other ancestors of this variety

Siblings of this variety (same parentage)

  • Spartan - Spartan and Empire are half-brothers

Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments, or reply to one of the existing comments)

01 Jul 2008 16:33   candy & sheila from Northampton uk
We love Empire apples and cannot get enough of them (literary) none of the supermarkets are selling them at present.Reply to this comment
30 May 2008 21:00   Brad Davis from Ontario, Canada
As a child, I grew up in a part of the country where apple orchards were plentiful, and many varieties were readily available. However, it has been only recently that I have gotten hooked on empire apples. Their firm, crisp texture and pleasantly sweet flavour make them a satisfying snack...everytime!Reply to this comment
20 May 2008 09:24   Julia Hayes from Crawley, West Sussex
I was always an avid Granny Smith eater, the sharper the better, but my tastebuds have now changed and I am hooked on Empire Apples which are beautifully crisp and sweet, unfortunately I have been unable to buy any these past two weeks in any of my local large supermarkets, I must ask and find out why!!Reply to this comment
20 May 2008 00:58   Gary from England
The empire apple is a tasteless, hard apple whose parts add up to far more than the sum. McIntosh and Red delicious are among the fruitiest, juiciest apples apples around, and it is annoying that the hybrid is so poor.Reply to this comment
30 Apr 2008 10:17   Jim from UK
Unfortunately, having tried this variety of apple (bought from Tesco), I found them completely tasteless and did not enjoy them at :-(Reply to this comment
25 Apr 2008 19:47   Steven from Grantham, UK
I bought some Empire apples for the first time about 3 weeks ago and have bought them evey time I have been shopping since. They are delicious, crisp (they give that appealing crunch sound everytime you bite a wedge off) and juicy. I'd day they are definitely my favourite apple but then I am a relative newcomer. I have only recently started buying different varieties in order to compare them but I am now hooked, thanks mainly to this site. People at work think I'm a bit mad but I managed to ween one person off her Red Delicious the other day with the help of the far superior Empire!Reply to this comment
14 Apr 2008 13:51   Gen from Northampton, UK
Empires are the best apples ever! They're so crisp and sweet..I'm addicted I eat 3/4 a day.Reply to this comment
12 Feb 2008 20:35   Monique from Texas, USA
My favorite out-of-hand apple, having supplanted the Macintosh. Sadly, only available here in the fall.Reply to this comment
08 Feb 2008 04:32   John T. from Colorado, USA
Empire, in my opinion, is far and away the best apple for fresh eating. It used to be in good supply in grocery stores in North Carolina when I lived there, but disappeared three or four years ago. Now, here in Colorado, the produce managers that I have queried have never even heard of it!Reply to this comment
23 Jan 2008 10:24   Alison S. from bournemouth, UK
They are in the supermarkets at the moment. Tesco is best. but they frequently sell out cos they are so popular. Reply to this comment
11 Jan 2008 19:56   sally crane from london, UK
my husband loves empire apples but i just cant find them anywhere, do you have any cluesReply to this comment
20 Oct 2007 20:23   Lucinda Baran from Virginia, USA
I LOVE Empire apples but am having a hard time finding them in the eastern part of VA. Do you know any reasons why? I used to be able to find them here.Reply to this comment

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Where to buy apple trees

No tree suppliers listed for this variety.

Where to buy fruit and related products

The following orchards and suppliers offer Empire apples for sale:

Apple tree register

The following Empire trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree:

  • 09 Aug 08  Axel Kratel  Santa Cruz, California, United States

Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register here and contribute to our international register of apple trees.

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