During the winter, I normally steer away from apples at the grocery store simply because I’ve grown tired of eating them during the fall from bushels collected during apple picking season. Well, there’s a new type of apple that’s got me excited – the Piñata apple. Piñata is a new apple variety grown in Washington State, which features a crisp and juicy bite, classic apple flavor, and a unique tropical finish. They’re now available in stores throughout the U.S. and Canada from now through April.
What’s a Piñata apple?
A Piñata is a cross between two heirloom varieties from Europe – Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg – and the more familiar Golden Delicious apple from the United States. When combined, these three varieties create a vibrantly colored and flavorful apple. Piñata’s high sugar, high acid flavor profile and hints of pineapple come from Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg. The apple’s thin skin is a feature of Golden Delicious and makes Piñata a versatile apple suitable for any culinary use.
Stemilt Growers, a leading family-owned tree fruit company in Wenatchee, Washington, purchased the exclusive rights to grow and market this apple in the United States. The apple was trademarked Piñata in order to better convey the apple’s exciting attributes.
Its crisp bite and great flavor make it ideal for eating fresh-out-of-hand, while its thin skin and fine-grained texture makes it a smart choice for salads and baking. Piñata has been included in dishes ranging from gourmet pork belly or tenderloin to classic apple pie and Stemilt has many recipes available on the apple’s website.
Piñata apples are harvested in mid-October from Washington state, where the majority of the U.S. apple supply comes from, but aren’t available nationwide until January. The reason for the wait? Piñata is a variety that benefits from some storage time.
Connect with Piñata on Facebook to learn more about this apple.
Disclosure: I received one pack of Piñata apples from Stemlit Growers. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from Stemlit Growers or their representatives.
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