I love the world of apples. So many varieties to try. The search for new ones is never ending. They are so many unique heirloom varieties that small farms grow that it's really a treasure when you find one. Even more so when you find one at Whole Foods. The Whole Foods market stores in Ann Arbor receive shipments from Tree Mendus Fruit out of Eau Claire, MI. They grow over 200 varieties on their farm. You can guarantee I will be trying every variety this year that makes it to Whole Foods.
First new one for me to try this year is the unique Almata apple. This apple has a red flesh that is striking. It is said to originate from South Dakota and it is a cross between Beautiful Arcade x Fluke 38) x Redflesh cross.
My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
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Aspect, Score
Crispiness, 7
Tartness, 9
Apple Flavor, 6
Sweetness, 1
Juiciness, 2
Where I Got Them, Whole Foods Market (Ann Arbor MI - Grown by Tree-Mendus Fruit)
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Overall Feeling: Unless you like your apples on the tart side you won't want this for out of hand eating. Only a crab apple would be more tart. They are also on the dry side. The flavor reminds me of fresh cranberries. It's still not the most flavorful apple ever, but it's a lot better than other apples that I have had that were similar to this type. These apples are best used for making a beautiful red applesauce or dried apple chips, which I made and they were amazing! It's an early season apple, which means that it won't keep very long. Use them up within a week.
Here are some apple related kitchen tools I recommend:
Amco Dial-A-Slice Adjustable Apple Corer and Slicer
: Allows you to slice apples into either 8 or 16 pieces
Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler
: The best peeler I have ever owned. Does a great job peeling an apple.
Mirro Foley 2-Quart Stainless Steel Food Mill
: A great tool for making your own applesauce. You can make the sauce without having to do any peeling.
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