If you are a fan of a really sweet apple then you will want to try the Sweet Orin apple.
What are Sweet Orin Apples? Are a uniquely shaped, really sweet apple that is grown mainly in the Pacific Northwest and is also popular in Japan.
One of the most unique shape of apples I have come across has to be the Sweet Orin. It has a more oblong shape than any other apple I have seen besides Kandil Sinap.
📜 History
This apple originated in Japan, where it is one of the most popular apples in the country. I have heard that people there like to cut them up and share them with their family after a meal. Sweet Orin was created by combining an Indo apple, which I have never seen before, with the very common Golden Delicious.
The apple has a good shelf life, so there is hope that it may catch on in the US market.
🚜 When Are They Harvested?
Sweet Orin is a later season apple that is harvested in October.
👅 What Does It Taste Like
Here is my review of this apple. Categories are on a scale of 1-10.
| Crispiness | 7 |
| Tartness | 1 |
| Flavor | 3 |
| Sweetness | 8 |
| Juiciness | 6 |
This is a pretty sweet apple, there isn't any real tartness to it. It is crisp and juicy. It has a pear like taste to it. It's like eating a pear that hasn't ripen, but is still juicy.
It would make a nice apple to go along with some more tart apples when making applesauce. If you cook with this apple I would cut down on the sugar used. I think this apple is best just eaten out of hand.
Mutsu is another apple variety that has the same parents as Indo. I think Mutsu are a far superior apple in both flavor and it's sweet-tart balance.
Another sweet apple that I think is similar but with a better flavor is the Green Dragon apple.
🛒 Where to Buy
I could not find a lot of sources for this apple. I first found this apple at Whole Foods Market many years ago but I haven't seen it a long, long time. When doing a recent search I found that some people are growing it commercially but no stores really to confirm. The apple is most likely to be found in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
Here are the few orchards I could find that say they grow Sweet Orin.
- Kiyokawa Family Orchards (Hood River, OR)
- Bellewood Acres (Lynden, WA)
- Chileno Valley Ranch (Petaluma, CA)
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.
Leave a Reply