"Marjolaine", 2009
Pink Flesh Apples from Kiyokawa Orchards in Parkdale (near Hood River)
I have been curious about Pink Flesh apples since I first heard about them a few years ago via a strange story of a rare pink flesh apple tree near where I grew up. Only upon a recent trip to the Hood River Valley did I discover that a specific Orchard grew several varieties of this novel fruit and so this weekend we made the trip back to collect a few (and hunt for pumpkins as well).
My favorite turned out to be the Hidden Rose, a large apple that was both tart and sweet at the same time with a gorgeous deep coral color. My son who always has me cut off apple skins and rarely eats a whole apple ate all of his, pink juice dripping down his chin, and declared that it tasted like jellybeans. The other two in season were the Pink Pearls and Pink Delights. They look somewhat similar (I had to mark the bags so I wouldn't get them confused) but they definitely taste different from each other.
*update 10/2012~Kiyokawa Farms no longer sells the Hidden Rose, but something similar called Mt. Rose.
Clay fruit including Pink Apples from my Mad Tea Party this Summer
Pink Pearls are much more mild than the Hidden Rose but still have a tart flavor while the Pink Delights have a mildly sweet taste. If you get a chance try some you should!They're a new favorite~ beautiful and tasty. We brought back enough to share with my son's preschool classmates this week as I'm sure most probably haven't seen or tried one.
If you happen to be in Oregon/Washington you can find these at Kiyokawa Orchards (they do a lot of farmers Markets in the Portland area but it's worth a trip to the farm..). I havent heard just how many heirloom pink flesh apples there are but from my understanding you can find them on the West Coast and in Europe where they originated from. You may have to track them down online to see where they're grown/sold elsewhere. For those interested here is a link with varieties and descriptions.
