Tuesday, October 10, 2017

White Crabapple

I do not know if the name of this apple is an error, a joke, or something else (named for a Mr. or Ms. White?), but I was not expecting this flamingo-pink interior.

The elongated, olive-shaped  fruit is small, though large for a crabapple, about 2 inches high. Each has a glossy peel that blushes from a delicate pink-orange wash to a saturated red.

The White Crab has very modest ribbing, and there is palpable damage from hail. Tiny lenticels are barely visible.

It's flesh is soft and pink, even cranberry red in spots. The texture is a little granular the way that red-fleshed apples sometimes are, nearly mealy, and not very juicy. The open flesh smells like cut grass.

If you click on the first photo above, you can see a bit of the rough texture in the flat cut edge. There are some interesting flavors to be had here.

The sweet-tart balance is very good, slightly tart, and the peel has a bitter note that colors the chew. The flavors are incongruous but also indistinct, perhaps because of age.

There's a hint of cherry candy muddled with some flavors I can't make out, but there is a savory quality to some of it.

This variety is a little baffling. Is the name even right? Was it left on the tree too long? Is it any good for cider?

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