• Many heirloom apple varieties are prized for their distinctive flavors and aromas.Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  Some heirloom apple varieties date back as far as 400 years, although the term heirloom now commonly embraces many different varieties of old-fashioned apples. A key unifying characteristic of heirlooms is the likelihood that their wide-scale cultivation ceased when commercialization popularized the uniform shape and hardiness of today's most available apples. Many heirloom apples are late-bloomers, cherished for their unusually pungent flavors and distinctive fragrances, as well as for their ability to mature late and store throughout the winter, an important fruit trait in the eras that predated modern refrigeration.
  
  

Ashmead's Kernel

• This old English russet dates to about 1700, according to the horticulturists at Orange Pippin and Trees of Antiquity. A small- to medium-sized heirloom, Ashmead's Kernel is not an apple beauty, with a dull russet coat over a green skin and rather bumpy fruit. Its deliciously unusual flavor, sweet fragrance and juicy texture have helped make it a favorite for nearly 300 years. A late bloomer and late fruiter, Ashmead's Kernel stores very well. Eat it fresh, or in pies, cakes, juices or ciders.
  
  

Star Lady

• An unusual specimen at first glance, the Star Lady --- also known as Api Etoile in its native Switzerland -- has graced orchards for about 400 years. You'll recognize it from a distinctively flat appearance and a form that seems to fade to a star shape at its base. Star Lady produces blooms in midsummer and matures in late summer and early fall. Slightly acidic and aromatic, Star Lady is a sweet red apple that stores well through the cold months.
  
  

Newtown Pippin

• This warm-weather apple is a green or yellow russet, ripens late in the season and dates to the mid-18th century. It's reported to have been a personal favorite of George Washington, and in historical fact, graced the orchards at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. This large-fruited heirloom needs a few months in storage after harvest to develop its hearty flavor and rich, sugary sweetness. Eat fresh or use this pippin for applesauce, apple butter, pies, cakes, tarts and hard cider.