An heirloom apple that is yellow on the outside and "pretty in pink" on the inside. What out what this apple tastes like and some fun recipes you can use them for.
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I love presenting people with new fruit that makes them go wow and their socks going flying off.
An apple that is light to dark pink on the inside said definitely will produce that reaction.
When I first encountered Pink Pearl in 2012, I shared one apple with some co-workers, I worked at a small produce market. I love the look of shock and awe on their faces when I sliced open this green-yellow transparent looking apple. They were expecting that familiar white color, instead a brilliant pink hue was before them. I think the flavor took them by surprise too, more on that in moment.
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📜 History
Pink Pearl was developed by Albert Etter in 1944 in northern California. It ripens right around the end of August, so it's a summer apple. The first ones I purchased were grown under the Viva Terra label. They grow organic fruit on the west coast.
Since then I have had Michigan grown ones as well as ones from one of my favorite orchards, Johnston Fruit Farm in Swanton, Ohio.
Depending on where you get your Pink Pearl from, the color on the inside can be more intense or less. The first Pink Pearl apples I had were really dark on the inside, more red than pink.
👅 What Does It Taste Like
Here is what I think of the apple on a rating scale of 1-10.
| Crispiness | 7 |
| Tartness | 7 |
| Apple Flavor | 7 |
| Sweetness | 5 |
| Juiciness | 5 |
This apple has a unique tart flavor with enough sweetness to allow for out of hand eating for those that appreciate more tart apples. The apple is not as juicy as a lot of the varieties that dominate grocery store shelves.
That unique flavor surprised those co-workers I sampled them too backed when I worked at a grocery store. It's definitely a fun variety you should keep a lookout for.
🍽️ Recipes
Pink Pearl is one of my all time favorite apples to cook or bake with. I have made with them:
- Fried Apples
- Applesauce
- Apple Cobbler
- Waffles
The color of the fried apples was beautiful and bold I was shocked. It was hard to even eat them as they were so pretty, but they were so tasty they weren't hard to eat at all.
The color is not lost when heat is introduced to these apples. Just look at the fried apples I made with them in the photo above. That color is amazing. I didn't take the peels off either.
For the recipe for fried apples, see the bottom of my post on Hidden Rose apples.
I love making apple cobbler with them as well. Check out my recipe for Single Serving Apple Cobbler and use Pink Pearl apples.
Make applesauce with these and it will have a rosy pink glow! You could also dry these apples - that would be pretty as well.
I have also seen people make beautiful galette or apple roses with them. Truly works of art. And they certainly would do well enough in a pie or cobbler.
Applesauce
I was super excited to try out Pink Pearls as an applesauce with my leftover apples from my last orchard visit. As the Pink Pearl apple aged they weren't as tart as when I first tried them. They softened a little but weren't mealy yet. I felt they were perfectly ready for apple.
They make an applesauce that was on the tart side, but not overbearingly tart. The texture of the sauce was really nice, velvety smooth.
The color came out very interesting. A peach color. A combination of the yellow skin and the pink inside. I cooked my apples with the skin on and then put them through my Oxo food mill. If you wanted to go for more of a pink color you can try remove the skin. I don't like peeling apples and since I have a food mill I don't have to!
If you don't have a food mill and also don't want to peel the apples you can push the apples through a sieve.
Pink Pearl Applesauce
Ingredients
- Any amount Pink Pearl apples cored remove, peeled (optional)
- water
Instructions
- Slice the apples into quarters with the core removed. If you have a food mill or sieve you don't need to peel the apples.
- Add the apples to a pot with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. I usually use about ¼ to ⅓ cup.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook until the apples are soft. Add more water if needed so you don't burn the apples.
- Once the apples are soft (you can easily smash them with a spoon) remove the heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes before running through a sieve or food mill. If you peeled them, you can just mash the sauce with a potato masher.
- If the sauce is too thin, put it back on the heat and reduce the moisture content until your desire consistency.
🔴 More Pink/Red Flesh Apples
Give thse apples a try too.
Have you tried this apple? What did you think? Leave a comment below telling us. Be a helper and share where you found it. You may make someone's day with your insider info on where to get them! If you are a true apple lover, you'll want to check out all of our apple reviews.
Marcy
Heya, did you find these apples anywhere around here? I'd like to try some. Thanks for your blog.
Eric Samuelson
I got mine at Plum Market in Ann Arbor. They had them at all 3 of their stores. I am not sure if they still have any, they weren't suppose to last that long. Alber Orchard in Manchester grows them, however they lost their crop of them this year along with all their heirloom varieties.