The Name

Northern Spy Food Co. is named after one of New York State’s classic heirloom apples. The Northern Spy apple was developed in the early 19th century and originally identified in an orchard in East Bloomfield, New York. The name has several possible origins. It has sometimes been called Northern Spie or Northern Pie Apple, either of which might have changed to Northern Spy over time. Another suggested etymology is that the apple was named after James Fenimore Cooper’s 1821 novel, The Spy, which was very popular at the time.

In any case, the Northern Spy apple is a juicy, crisp, and mildly sweet apple well suited for pies and cider. The fruit is typically large and irregular, with colors varying from clear yellow to bright green to pale red.  It isn’t widely available outside of New York State, and even here, can be hard to locate outside of the main harvest period. At Northern Spy Food Co., we pay homage to this great apple in our Northern Spy apple pie.