Apples, Nova Spy

Spy apples have a sweet-tart taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The apples can be consumed straight out of hand, and their thin skin and crisp, tender flesh create a favorable eating experience. Northern Spy apples can also be shredded into slaws, tossed into salads, mixed into fruit bowls, or chopped as a fresh garnish over breakfast dishes. Spy apples are often served on appetizer plates alongside cheeses, honey, and nuts.

The variety can also be blended into smoothies and juices and is popularly added to ciders for flavor. In addition to fresh preparations, Northern Spy apples can be cooked and pureed into apple sauce, roasted with root vegetables as a savoury-sweet side dish, or sauteed with browned butter and spices as a decadent topping. Spy apples can also be baked into cakes, muffins, cobblers, bread, and pies.

The variety is famously used for apple pie, so much so that it is sometimes known as Northern Pie apples, and historical slogans about the pie include "if it wasn't made with Spy, it's not worth eating." Northern Spy apples pair well with vanilla, maple syrup, spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, herbs including mint, basil, and rosemary, and fruits such as oranges, berries, and bananas. Whole, unwashed Spy apples will keep for several weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as a cellar or in the refrigerator's crisper drawer.