ARKANSAS BLACK

Zia our good friend over at Zia in the Kitchen made an apple pie the other day. She wanted to use an apple called ‘Arkansas Black’. This variety of apples lineage goes way back to the 1840’s located in Arkansas and later Missouri. For some reason this apple is not well known in California. I have never seen it in our local markets till now. Some Arkansas Black apples were found at the Santa Rosa farmers market. The vendor would not offer a taste of this apple. That made it even more mysterious. She did volunteer the information that this apple was not good for baking and had a very unique taste. It is funny that all the ‘World Wide Web” information on this apple says it is great for baking.

Living true to its name it is colored a reddish black. Crisp, juicy and sweet was my first bite. I had flavor thoughts of chardonnay, honey and a hint of vanilla. This apple has so much more flavor than a supper market ‘Red Delicious’. I thought this was a great apple for snacking. I will have to pick up some more to see if they are good bakers. According to the ‘WWW’ depending where they were grown and how long they have been in storage will determine if they are suitable for baking. If you have an opportunity, pick up some ‘Arkansas Black’ apples and give them a try. Thanks Zia!