What Are & Where to Buy Opal Apples

Meet the Opal apple!

It’s been a couple years since I first experienced the Opal apple and now they have become a variety I look forward to trying each year.

Opal and I meet at a Whole Foods Market store on the west side of Ann Arbor, Michigan. A marketing representative was there giving out samples of this apple.

What are Opal Apples?

It is a bright yellow color, more vivid in color than one of it’s parents, the Golden Delicious. It’s other parent is the Topaz apple. It is exclusively grown in the United States in Prescott, Washington. It is grown conventionally as well as organically. It was first discovered in Europe in 1999, eventually making it’s way to Washington.

My Experience with this Apple

(Rating Scale 1-10)

Overall Feeling: Move over Golden Delicious, your offspring has you beat. The Opal apple is a flavorful apple that is sweet with enough acidity to not make the sweetness overwhelming. It’s an extremely juicy apple. When I cut into a lot of juice came out onto my napkin. The apple is also slow to oxidize, which means it will not turn brown when cut very quickly. This makes it a great choice for salads. As for cooking, the jury is still out on how well this apple does when baked. I do think though that it would make a great apple to use for applesauce, paired with a more tart apple. I am sure the high juice content of this apple would make it a good choice for juice or cider.

Since the Opal apple stores well it is available during the winter months, starting before Christmas and lasting until the end of winter.

Are Opal Apples GMO?

No, Opal apples are non-GMO. To learn more about GMO & apples, check out my post: Are SweeTango Apples GMO? Are Any Apples GMO?

Where to Buy Opal Apples

Here is a list of stores that carry Opal apples (by state). They may not be in all locations at the same time, so check with the individual store.

Whole Foods Market is one of the best places to look nationwide. So if you have a Whole Foods check it out beginning in about middle November.

Arkansas
Walmart

Arizona
Safeway

California
Safeway
Vons/Paviilions

Colorado
King Soopers

Florida
Harvey’s Supermarket
Sweetbay
Target

Georgia
Harvey’s Supermarket

Illinois
Jewel
Mariano’s Fresh Market
Meijer
Target

Indiana
Meijer

Iowa
Target

Kansas
Target

Kentucky
Meijer

Louisiana
Walmart

Michigan
Meijer
Whole Foods Market

Minnesota
Lunds/Byerlys
Target

Missouri
Walmart

Nebraska
Target

North Dakota
Dan’s

Ohio
Meijer

Oklahoma
Walmart

Rhode Island
Dave’s

South Carolina
Harvey’s Supermarket

Texas
Central Market
HEB
Randall/Tom Thumb
Walmart

Washington
Haggen

Wyoming
Walmart

Here are some other unique apple varieties to check out:
Kiku
Spitzenberg
Pinata

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.