McIntosh Apple

Malus domestica 'McIntosh'

fruit

McIntosh is the classic apple of New England and Canada, a chance seedling discovered in Dundela, Ontario in 1811 that is now Canada's national apple. It is cold-hardy, juicy, and bright tart at harvest, with white flesh that mellows beautifully through storage. The two-tone red and green skin and tender, almost yielding flesh make it a favorite for fresh eating, applesauce, and pies that should be on the saucy side.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Chives — Aromatic sulfur compounds may suppress aphids and apple scab spores near the trunk
• Comfrey — Living mulch that pumps minerals from deep soil up to the surface root zone
• White Clover — Orchard-floor nitrogen fixer that supports a healthier soil food web
• Tansy — Deters Japanese beetles and ants that tend aphid colonies

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Apple scab →

  McIntosh is scab-susceptible; remove fallen leaves in autumn, prune for airflow, and consider sulfur sprays in wet springs

• Codling moth →

  Bag fruit by hand, hang pheromone traps, and rake up drops to interrupt the life cycle

• Apple maggot →

  Hang red sphere sticky traps in June at one per dwarf tree, and remove dropped fruit promptly

• Plum curculio →

  Apply kaolin clay at petal fall, beat the trunk at dawn over a tarp, and clear early drops

🌾 Harvest & storage

McIntosh ripens mid to late September in northern zones. Pick when the green background turns yellow and the seeds are dark brown. The flavor is sharply tart at harvest and softens during four to six weeks of cold storage. Eat or process early-picked McIntosh first; the variety does not store as long as Fuji or Pink Lady.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 52 calories per 100 g, 2.4 g fiber, 5 mg vitamin C, and 107 mg potassium. McIntosh delivers more malic acid than sweeter dessert apples, which is what gives the cooked sauce its tang.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the flesh, not the seeds. Apple and pear seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide-releasing compound. Swallowing a seed or two is harmless, but do not deliberately eat or crush the seeds or cores in quantity.