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Arkansas Black is a Southern apple and I am fortunate to have found some growing right here in Massachusetts.
These run on the small side of medium and have a dull blush that runs to deep purplish red on the sunward side, with small light lenticels. The unblushed skin is yellow, and there is a little crown of russet around the stem well.
The apple is very firm and, for its size, heavy, with only a very faint apple aroma.
The flesh is fine-grained, yellow, very crisp, and dense.
Arkansas Black might cut the redoubtable
Blue Pearmain,
not that I have one to compare.
The fruit is reasonably juicy but has so much matter that the juice gives out before the apple, leaving a dry impression. It oxidizes quickly when cut. And, it's really filling.
The Black's flavors are sweet, tart, and acid. The highlights are unusual and challenging: hint of pear and something like tobacco. The finish is nicely astringent.
I can't imagine this distinctive variety being hugely popular today, but I am enjoying mine. I have been curious about this variety ever since a friend from Atlanta described one to me four years ago.
Arkansas Black is said
to be a phenomenally good keeper. The apples I purchased may have been picked
as much as a month earlier. I plan to hold a few back to see how they mature
in storage.
Black has its own entry in the Encyclopedia of
Arkansas, including its
history and other lore.
Note: This is the last of my hoarded apple reviews, though at this writing the Arkansas Blacks that I have are still good. I still have a few more things to show and to tell, too.
Update: These held up magnificently! I ate my last Arkansas Black on May 4.
I read your post about Arkansas Black apples several days ago and had intended to comment before now. I had wondered what you would think of the Arkansas Black apples you had. I think your description is a good one. One of the last two Arkansas Blacks I had toward the end of fall last year was much as you've described here, the other, which was the last one I ate, may have been a little on the green side, or at least not quite ripe, because that astringent quality you mention was so pronounced that it gave that particular apple an almost bitter quality. A pity for the last of those for the season. In general it is a good apple, hearty and with a good "tooth". I don't know that that is how one refers to an apple's hardness. I think you use another term. I guess I was thinking of pasta when it is al dente, and thinking of the firmness of an apple as one snaps off a bite. Anyway, I was glad to see that you'd reviewed this apple, had actually looked for it among your postings and it noted it wasn't there. So thank you!
ReplyDeleteNina
Hearty, good tooth. Those are very good words for this apple.
ReplyDeleteAlso, dense, doughty, stick-to-your-ribs, and heavy. Not words I normally think of in relation to apples, but it works.
The amount of variation in this fruit, malus domestica, is astonishing. At a blind tasting, where you removed physical resemblance by peeling and cubing the fruit, I'll bet most people would not guess that both Arkansas Black and Golden Russet belonged to the same species.
Thanks, Nina!
I tried my first one of these today. I bought a handful at our farmer's market about a month ago. The apple was deep red, almost purple with some russeting around the top. It was really nice to look at. The apple is as firm as a baseball. I finally cut it into slices after a few attempts to bite off a piece. I ate it as dessert just after a bowl of pasta and it was just as heavy as the pasta was. A very dense flesh with good juiciness, more than the Golden Russet I just ate but more dense than the russet also. The flavor was sweet/astringent and kept me coming back for more as I tried to pin down the flavor. I wasn't able to do so. Over all it tasted earthy, grassy, sweet, starchy and tart. A unique apple for sure. I can see why it doesn't have a lot of disease and insect problems with how dense it is. Take a few along on your next picnic and eat one and play baseball with the other. This apple was grown in S.E. Wisconsin. I would be intersted to try one that comes from a hotter Southern state.
ReplyDeleteThis one really defies expectations of what an apple is like. I won't say it's indescribable, but you really have to try one to know one.
ReplyDeleteAbout 12 years ago we found this apple here in Sonoma County, CA at a farmers market. We were intrigued by the almost black color and the heavy streaking of red in the flesh of the samples.
ReplyDeleteCrisp, both in the bite and the flavor. We ate some plain, some with cheese, and then sliced and sauted some in a little butter with a touch of sugar and "pie spices."
The next week we went back and bought a box of them. That was, if I recall, a week before Thanksgiving (worked well in a pie). We just stored the box in the garage, dipping into it a little every week. By March we had maybe half a dozen left, some were showing some wrinkles. We only threw out 2 for spoilage.
Adam. I think we're the best grower of these, maybe in the country. Can be a tricky apple, prone to drop early, but tempting to pick too early. The past 2 years we've had really good Arkansas. Great Cider apple as well for baking & eating fresh. Unique cidery flavor is how I describe. BTW I'm in Torrance FM Stdy and Hollywood Sunday for our Cali fans. All our apples have been supremely good this year, esp Grannies, Pink Ladies, HoneyC, Arkies, Crimsons, Calvils, Sundowners.
ReplyDeleteLloyd-Cuyama Orchards
You should be proud, if that is true! My sources have dried up, seemingly.
Deletefrom "The Illustrated history of Apples in the United States and Canada", - Daniel Bussey, ed Kent Whealy 2016 p. 208:
ReplyDeleteYellow flesh, very firm, fine-textured, crisp, moderately juicy sprightly subacid; good to very good quality for kitchen and market use. Season December to April or later; matures December 15-20 at Geneva, New York and will keep 14 weeks in common storage. Not a prolific bearer, self-sterile. Mid to late bloom time".
Meaning it needs pollinators.
Beautiful apple – worth having just to look at, so I bought a few this afternoon in Bolton. In my uneducated opinion, not so good for eating. Adam’s review said it all: “The fruit is reasonably juicy but has so much matter that the juice gives out before the apple, leaving a dry impression …. I can't imagine this distinctive variety being hugely popular today.” The comments included observations such as “… dense, doughty, stick-to-your-ribs, and heavy …”, “… firm as a baseball …” and “… great cider apple as well for baking & eating fresh.”
ReplyDeleteI can imagine this might be a good cider apple or perhaps for baking, mixed with a very juicy variety. I bought some Spencers and others to mix for a pie. Also a Hudson Golden Gem to try out – thank you Adam for expanding my horizons. My palate is not in the same league (or even the same county) as yours, so I can’t comment helpfully on taste, but clearly this is not my favorite apple. I found that after a few chews I was left with a dry, flavorless mass to masticate. I agree that it is not likely to be hugely popular in these days of Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp and Snapdragon.
@Gary: In my opinion (only), it's too early to eat an Arkansas Black. Try storing them til January. It's never a crisp apple, but the denseness goes away.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you got the Hudson Golden Gems where I think you did -- the flavor is still great, but they've lost their texture. Try them in early October
I got several Arkansas Black - I'll wait till January, as you suggest and see what a little time and patience does.
DeleteCoincidentally, I just got a few for myself yesterday.
DeleteI once made a kind of monthly diary of AR Black, charting its changes in storage through May.
I thought January was the sweet spot.