Discover some of the prettiest apples on the planet and learn about different apple varieties that have either a pink or a red flesh.
The Day I Discovered Red-Fleshed Apples
Back in 2011, I was intrigued when I saw that a small, local produce market was selling heirloom apples. I had seen heirloom tomatoes before but never considered this with apples. I got to the store as soon as I could after seeing the Facebook announcement. I brought a small camera with me to take photos of the apples as this was before I had a smartphone to take photos with. The owner of the store saw me and wanted to show off one of the varieties they had. It was called Niedzwetzkyana - don't ask me how to pronounce that! He sliced the apple open for me as right at the check out counter. I was amazed to see the vivid, bright-red colored flesh that was inside the apple. I was immediately obsessed with apples that had that kind of flesh.
Since that time I have found many other varieties that have a red or pink flesh. I have been excited to find other heirloom varieties like the Pink Pearl but also discovered that people are breeding brand new varieties like Lucy Rose that have red flesh.
Now I am here to present to you what I have found as my love letter to the red-flesh apple!
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🔴 Red-Fleshed or Pink-Fleshed Apple Varieties
Depending on the apple variety, when they were harvested, and where they were grown, these apple varieties all have flesh that ranges in color from light pink to rosy-pink to a vivid red.
Here is a list of red-fleshed apple varieties I have come across:
- Lucy Glo (Honeycrisp cross)
- Pink Pearl
- Redlove (check out my Instagram Reel)
- Lucy Rose (Honeycrisp cross)
- Hidden Rose / Mountain Rose
- Thornberry
- Kissabel Rouge
- Airlie Red Flesh
- Scarlet Surprise
- Almata
- Niedzwetzkyana
🍏 This isn't my only apple list on the blog! Learn about the different types of green apple varieties besides Granny Smith and different types of yellow apple varieties besides Golden Delicious. And I also have a post on What Apples are Related to Honeycrisp.
👅 Most Flavorful
Out of all the apples on the list, which ones do I find the most flavorful? Redlove is the one that I tried the most recently and it immediately heads towards the top of my list. This apple has a good amount of flavor, it's not just pretty. As often with these kinds of apples they are more tart than sweet, but I felt this one had a better balance than some of the others on the list.
I am also a fan of the Lucy Glo apple. This one has a yellow skin and a pink to red flesh. This one has a delicious tart flavor and stays firm for a longer amount of time. They can be quite crisp like their Honeycrisp parent.
🔍 Easiest to Find
Lucy Glo I think is now the easiest to find on the list. Trader Joe's has featured them heavily several falls. I have found them at Safeway and Sprouts stores. Lucy Rose are often there as well, but I don't see them as much at Trader Joe's than Lucy Glo, so I would put it second the list.
The Pink Pearl apple is one that is grown by a lot of orchards that grow a lot of varieties. I have found that they are more common to find in Oregon than I found them in the Midwest or East Coast. I felt there it was more of a search and I didn't have them every year, but I have had them 3 years running in Oregon.
I haven't seen a Niedzwetzkyana since it was the first red-flesh apple I found. I have only had Alamata apples one time and it was from an orchard that no longer exists. That same orchard had the Thornberry apple that I haven't seen since either.
Kissabel is a series of apples that have been developed in Europe and have made their way to the U.S. I have only found Kissabel Rouge so far and I didn't think it was worth the hype, at least the few I had.
When it comes to red-flesh apples you seem to either find old heirlooms or a brand new generation.
🥧 Best for Pies & Other Baking
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that any of the apples you are seeing on this list can be used for baking. They all have enough tartness to them to work in baked goods. The picture above is a slice of apple pie I made with Lucy Glo. Not only can you see that beautiful color but you can also see that the slice of apples held up really well when baked.
I have baked several times with Pink Pearl and was always pleased with the results. I did find that the Redlove did break down some when cooked. That is one that may be more of a pureed filling than slices.
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