APPEARANCE

It’s flesh is PINK! Oh-my-goodness-shocking-bright-lipstick PINK! Seventies-disco PINK! (I don’t know what that means either, just go with it).

AROMA

This is the strongest smelling apple I have ever been around. I have about ten of them, and the sweet, appley, cotton candy fragrance keeps sneaking over and tickling my nose. They smell crazy good.

TEXTURE

Texture is just so-so. Some are relatively crisp, but some aren’t (indicating they probably have one ideal day for eating – perhaps right off the tree is best). They all kind of mush in to a mealy bite. Definitely not my favorite texture.

TASTE

A little bit tart, a little bit sweet, a little bit blah. They basically remind me of a grocery store Red Delicious but with a little more tartness. They also leave a slightly filmy or tannic taste.

OVERALL

So I would never buy this apple again if it was normal looking – meaning if it had white or beige flesh. But it is very clearly NOT normal and so I am hooked for life. I mean if you want to be the instant cool aunt or uncle, whip one of these out for the kiddies at your next family get-together. Tell them its magic or blood or a Barbie apple! Bring it along with a Willy Wonka DVD. You can not go wrong here. Trust me. Plus the taste is fine, the smell divine, (yes I like to rhyme), and the texture and aftertaste problems go away when you cook them for some time (ha).

FRUIT

Apple

VARIETY

Hidden Rose

PEAK

Fall-Winter

ORIGIN

Origin

GROWN

Dragonberry Produce
Clackamas, Oregon

PURCHASED

Specialty Produce

NOTES

This apple has only been commercially available for the last three years. It is one of many red-fleshed varieties. Various internet reviews of this apple (largely by people selling it) indicate it is a great snacking apple and that it tastes like strawberry lemonade. I’m thinking they are drunk with love for the pinkness of it because I don’t think it tastes one bit like lemonade, but I’m no lemonade expert.

Also, I am posting a candied apple recipe that uses black candy that would be soooooo cool with these pink apples. (You should definitely at least look at that picture – spooky and awesome.) I know it isn’t halloween anymore and most of you are thinking about Christmas and Hanukkah now, but I can’t help it – I LOVE HALLOWEEN. And I guess you could adjust and do red and green apples, which could be cool too – not as cool, but still cool.

RECIPES

Red and Black Candy Apples
Free Form Apple Tart