APPEARANCE 5 out of 5 stars

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 5 out of 5 stars

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 4 out of 5 stars

The first time I tried these a few years ago, the texture was just so-so. Some were relatively crisp, but some weren’t and they all melted in to a mealy bite. Definitely not my favorite texture. But this batch was all crisp and delightful! Moral here – make sure and get them fresh, keep ‘em cold and don’t wait too long to eat them. (as if you wouldn’t bust these out at the first chance you had to show them off.)

TASTE 3 out of 5 stars

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 4.25 out of 5 stars

So I would never buy this apple again if it was normal looking – meaning if it had white or beige flesh. They are good, but not great. 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 few 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