Earligold

Perhaps by design, the name of this apple evokes the iconic Golden Delicious, which matures much later.

Earligold falls between medium and large, a very light spring green. As the photo shows, there is not so much a blush as a lightening of the green to yellow, but it includes some faint peach accents. Lenticels show as darker green dots.

There is quite a bit of give in the squeeze.

These apples are mostly round with a little taper (the photographed one more than most) and some flattening at the base and top. The ribbing is minimal, the calyx closed. 

My Earligolds, unbroken, have only the faintest cidery aroma. So, let's break 'em and see what is what.

Taste and texture

Earligold's medium-fine-grained off-white flesh is tender, with a fresh taste that is bracingly acidic (though still balanced by sweet). 

It holds faint hints of table grapes and sweet pumpkin.

Another sample is really too soft to be enjoyable, with flesh that melts away long before the peel. However, this apple has better flavors including hints (just hints) of vanilla, caramel, and table grapes, and a little spice. It is also milder.

Earligold would be a winner if it could have the best of both taste and texture, but that is probably not possible.

Perhaps this apple just has a very short eating window, like Yellow Transparent, another early apple. But, the grower said Earligold keeps well.

Earligold's flesh is slow to brown when cut.

This apple's ancestry is unknown. It was discovered growing in Selah, Washington, in the late 1970s.