Nestled in the Foot Hills of the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains
Seven reasons to drive to North Georgia for apples.
Ellijay Apple Varieties
Below is a listing of the main varieties. Other varieties are available.
VARIETY
AVAILABLE
FLAVOR
BEST USE
Ginger Gold
Pristine
Swiss Gourmet
Early
Sweet
Eating
Ozark Gold
Jonathon
Detroit
Early
Tart
Cooking
Gala
Red Delicious
Gold Delicious
Early-Mid
Sweet
Eating
Empire
Early-Mid
Tart
Cooking
Honey Crisp
Gold Rush
Mid
Sweet
Eating
Jonagold
Mid
Sweet/Tart
Cooking/Eating
Mutsu
Mid-Late
Sweet/Tart
Cooking/Eating
Rome Beauty
Mid-Late
Slightly Tart
Cooking/Eating
Granny Smith
Winesap
Mid-Late
Tart
Cooking/Eating
Fuji
Late
Sweet
Cooking/Eating
Yates
Braeburn
Pink Lady
Late
Sweet
Eating
Arkansas Black
Late
Tart
Eating
In a celebration spanning the second and third weekends of each October, Ellijay observes its own Georgia Apple Festival, a truly appealing event that draws visitors from all over the country to the Georgia Mountains.
Absolutely the best. That's what you get when you pick Ellijay for apples. Nestled in the mighty Appalachian Mountains, Ellijay is the heart of Georgia's apple country, From late August to December, roadside stands abound with the tastiest, tree-ripened mountain apples available. And by buying direct from the growers, you are assured of getting better tasting, fresher, less expensive apples amidst some of the state's most breathtaking scenery.
JUICE
Take a bite of a ripe North Georgia apple with napkin in hand. Grocery store apples, fresh out of cold storage, can be up to a year old and mighty short on juice. Ellijay apples, grown in Georgia's Apple Capital, are the first new crop available in the country every year. The season begins in late August and runs through December.
TASTE
Cool mountain nights produce the best tasting, crispiest apples. A taste test held by the University of Georgia found that consumers overwhelmingly preferred Georgia apples over Washington state apples.
AROMA
Step inside any of the roadside stands listed below and you will get a jolt of sweet/tart aroma from hundreds of ripe apples, hand picked from orchards so recently that green leaves still cling to their stems.
CHOICES
You'll find all the familiar varieties like Red and Golden Delicious, but you'll also discover some not always available in many chain grocery stores, like Gala, Winesap and Mutsu.
EXTRAS
Where else can you find apple products like homemade apple butter, fried apple pies and old-fashioned cider pressed from apples?
MOUNTAINS
A drive for apples takes you into the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. Plus, most of apple season coincides with a breathtaking display of autumn colors.
NUTRITION
Apples are high in dietary fiber, low in sodium and contain no cholesterol. A medium-sized apple contains only 80 calories. Because Ellijay apples take well to drying, frying, baking and stewing, they're delicious at any meal or as a snack.
