Everything about Pink Pearl Apple

Introduction

Crunchy on the outside, tarty juiciness on the inside “Pink Pearl” apple is a unique apple due to its distinctive pink colored flesh. They appear medium in size and are conical shaped creamy tan, or maybe sometimes yellow to green in color. They have pearly yellow skin, which sometimes also have a light pink blush. It is a great tasting apple with firm crispy and juicy flesh.

Origin

The Pink Pearl apple basically originated from the United States and is one of the varieties of apples that is native to California.

History /Ancestors

Pink Pearl apples were bred in 1944 by the renowned plant breeder Albert Etter, and soon they rose to become one of the more popular red-fleshed varieties of apple.

A member of the rose family (Rosaceae), It is the offspring of the “Surprise” apple, an old English variety, another pink-fleshed apple that is believed to be a descendant of Malusniedzwetskyana.

Etter bred many apples with pink-and-red interiors, but many of his cultivars have disappeared. Fortunately, the Pink Pearl has persisted, and it is grown by orchardists due to its tart to sweet-tart taste, depending on time to harvest.

Geography

They are rare and currently grown mainly on the west coast in California, Oregon, and Washington State at orchards that specialize in heirloom varieties.

Seasons

Pink Pearl apples have a short season. They are harvested in early fall, or you can say late summers like in late August to mid-September with supplies lasting through mid to late fall. It is susceptible to scab, and once ripen, the fruit tends not to keep well on the tree; that’s why they cannot be stored. Therefore, one can enjoy the taste by eating fresh pink pearl apples. Blooms are one of the most popular varieties of these apples.

Moreover, pink pearl apples are highly unusual. This is why you won’t see a lot of these apples out in the world in general – and certainly not on the shelves of your local supermarkets.

Taste

Pink Pearl apples are highly aromatic and have a sweet-tart flavor, just like grapefruit and raspberries.

Nutritional Value

The best thing about Pearl apples is that they are low in calories and high in water content. They offer a fair amount of essential vitamins, including A, C, and B. Moreover, they also contain a dietary fiber known as pectin, which has been shown to lower Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or “Bad” cholesterol levels. In addition to that, pectin can help decrease the trace amounts of boron, a mineral that is used for building strong bones, treating osteoarthritis (as an aid for building muscles), increasing testosterone levels, and improving cognitive skills and muscle coordination.

One pink pearl apple contains:

  • 81 calories
  • 21g of carbs

Data from MyFitnessPal.

For more information, check out our article on the health benefits of apples.

Application

The rosy-hued flesh of the Pink Pearl apple makes it perfect for use in applications that showcase its vivid color.

  1. They are wonderful for baking, especially in open-topped tarts, pies, and scones.
  2. Cook down to make preserves, sorbet, and pink applesauce where its pink color can really shine.
  3. Their sweet-tart flavor blends excellently with savory items too.
  4. Sautee sliced Pink Pearl apples with fresh herbs and serve alongside fish or pork (whatever you prefer).
  5. Chop a pink pearl apple and add to salads. And yes, make sure to serve with sweet and savory dips.
  6. And if you cannot find any recipe that includes pink pearl apples or not feeling like working in the kitchen, you can eat it raw.

Grower

The Pink Pearl is one of over 1,000 varieties of apples being grown at an experimental orchard, “The Apple Biodiversity Collection” in Kentville, Nova Scotia, as part of its apple biodiversity collection. It contains one of the widest collections of apples in the world.

Reviews

People have excellent reviews about Pink Pearl apple. According to them:

  • It has a perfect balance of acid and sugar.
  • It’s really crunchy with a great texture.
  • It tastes like a bit of sweet candy.
  • Feels like its hiding a berry in it.

Pink Pearl Apple Recipe (Simple Pink Pearl Apple Galette)

Ingredients

  • 4 to 7 pink pearl apples (peeled or thinly sliced)
  • Homemade or store-bought dough
  • 2–3 tablespoons of maple syrup
  • Two tablespoons of melted butter
  • ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Two tablespoons of coconut sugaror natural sugar
  • 2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup of palmor vegetable shortening
  • ½ teaspoons of salt
  • 3–4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  • Prepare the dough first. If you are using a store-bought pie crust, then continue reading the instructions below.
  • Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and salt) into a large mixing bowl. Make sure to use a pastry blender to cut butter or shortening into the flour. Mix well until no large pieces remain.
  • If you want to make a gluten-free galette, then mix in one egg, water (one tbsp. at a time) until the dough comes together.
  • Grab a round disk shape and flatten the dough into it. Cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate the mixture while you prepare the apples.

Apple Filling

  • Peel, core, and thinly slice your pink pearl apples. Use a mandolin to get even slices, or if you are good with your kitchen knife, then good enough.
  • Take a large bowl and mix in it melted butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup.

Putting it All Together

Once you have prepared the dough and apple filling, you are all ready to put it all together. All you have to do is:

  • Preheat your baking over at 400°F. Make sure to take the dough out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before you plan to roll it out.
  • Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll it out into a large circle.
  • Arrange the apple slices you cut on the top of the dough, leaving about 1 to 2 inches border.
  • Once you have nicely placed all the apple slices over the dough, drizzle butter mixture evenly all over. You can use a pastry brush to spread the mixture over the apples.
  • Roll the edges and decorate it as you desire. Place galette and parchment onto a large baking sheet and put it into your preheated oven.
  • Bake galette for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust gets golden brown and apples are tender.
  • Once ready, make sure to serve it right away.