Jonagold Apple Review
"A Forgettable College Friend"
This bi-colored New York bred forget-me-fruit will vanish from your memory bank like the Ivy League School at which it was developed (Cornell University). A middling sweet-tart taste and ordinary crunch is double majored with granular apple meat and electrical tape skin. The Jonagold is a C-student which took advantage of its privileged upbringing by frequently studying abroad, particularly in Belgium where it accounts for nearly 70 percent of that nation’s apple production. But, make no mistake, no amount of international travel can make this blockable Facebook friend interesting enough to invite to your next dinner party.
BONUS POINTS: +1 Baking
- FLAVOR PROFILE -
SWEETNESS
2/5
TARTNESS
1/5
INTENSITY
2/5
JONAGOLD APPLE BIO
PARENTAGE
ORIGIN
Cornell University, New York
YEAR
1953
AVAILABILITY
Fall
BEST USES
OTHER NAMES
Jonared, Decosta, Primo,
Rubinstar, Red Jonaprince
I’m a fan of Jonagold apples except they are a very large apple to snack on. I prefer something smaller.
I think growers must have been making improvements on this in recent years. This is the first time I’ve tried one and it’s on par with a lot of the newer hybrids. The skin is definitely an issue (as with many of those) but the flavor, juice, and crunch are all good and it has lovely deep red striping. Average size so perfectly fine for a snack IMHO; it’s no Honeycrisp behemoth. Runs a bit more tart than sweet (unlike your rating) but the balance isn’t bad. I’d probably put it around the upper 60s. Low 70s if I got one that was sweeter.
If nothing else, they are better than the sum of their parts. Strangely popular in Poland for whatever reason.
These seem to be popular here. Not sure why. The results thereof are less hellish and more purgatorial. These really are just the vague presence of an apple, though the skin is abysmal.
It may be that these don’t store that well, but fresh Jonagolds from an orchard are great.
I used to love these but then I started paying attention to what I was eating. The texture of a jonagold is way off and the taste is like a watered-down version of a fuji. This is my brother’s favorite apple and when I showed him this website he couldn’t believe the ranking you gave it. Smh. some people can’t listen to reason. People thinking these are top-tier does not make me optimistic for mankind’s future. Someday I’ll make him do a blind taste test and see what he really thinks.
Agreed. I got a few of these fresh recently, and they tasted incredible. Would definitely have rated them higher for tartness and intensity than they are here. They were absolutely enormous, though.
While jonagold apples are picked starting in mid October they can take an additional 3 to five weeks to reach their peak of ripening. I purchase my jonagold apples from a local orchard in mid October and while the orchard states that they are ripe I find that the taste improves if they are kept for several weeks. Before consuming.
are they supposed to be soft and mealy I got some as a gift and they are soft and mealy or am I just being gifted bad apples
Soft and mealy. Blech!
i thought the flavor was good. it was sweet but not overwhelming. however, the texture was so soft it threw me off. it didnt even feel like an apple. the skin was thin and flavorless.