welcome to week two of APPLES TO APPLES. we have a whopping FIVE new varieties of apple this week, all from the good people at devoto gardens. on the whole, i was not totally crazy about the new varieties this week. let’s start with the two clear-cut winners, the pink blush and the hubbardston nonesuch.
Pink Pearl
the most striking thing about the pink pearl is also the least important: these little guys are bright pink on the inside. with a distinctive rosy skin, pink pearls have a unique visual style, but that’s no reason to eat them. the reason to eat them is the crisp, crunchy texture and the powerful flavor. get ready for some tartness. (mario, avoid this apple.)
the verdict: PUT THESE IN YOUR FACE.
Hubbardston Nonesuch
of the five varieties, i think the nonesuch wins for flavor. it’s complex, a nice combination of sweet and tart. devoto describes it as a classic new england apple. cant say i know what that means, but it tastes good. i think the flavor is both interesting and, well, i guess the word would be accessible. i think it would appeal to a broad range of tastes, without appealing to the lowest common denominator.
where i think it falls a little short is on texture. it’s dense but not very crisp. definitely wouldn’t describe it as mealy, but not the kind of crispity crunchity that i love in an apple. still, worth eating.
the verdict: PUT THESE IN YOUR FACE.
Burgundy
i was not so crazy about the burgundy. it has pretty good flavor, sweet and tangy, but nothing very special. the texture was what was missing for me. it’s too close to the mushiness of a red delicious. really, it’s just a hint of that. but it’s enough that it comes up short when stacked up against apples like the pink pearl and the gravenstein.
the verdict: TAKE THEM OR LEAVE THEM.
Arkane
the arkane apple is just kind of boring. it’s not a lot different than the burgundy, but i enjoyed it a little less. a difference in degree more than in kind. but i think mine may not have been fully ripe. the arkane is not meant to be sour at all, and mine definitely had a little sour to it. (not that i necessarily mind sour.) the texture was a little further toward the mushy end of the spectrum.
the verdict: KEEP THESE AWAY FROM YOUR FACE.
Pink Blush
the pink blush was my least favorite apple this week. it’s not a bad apple, like the red delicious. it’s just not an especially good apple. it doesn’t have a lot of flavor, and the flavor it has is sweet, kind of fuji-ish—not my favorite. i prefer some tartness and complexity in my apples. the thing the fuji has going for it is its wonderful crispness. the pink blush doesn’t quite have that. it’s not mealy. it’s just not crisp enough.
the verdict: KEEP THESE AWAY FROM YOUR FACE.
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