This post is sponsored by Opals.
It might be hard to tell with the whole windblown should-have-brought-a-jacket look, but here we are! In Washington!
And this is that moment during editing of the post when you realize that your “style” is to wear the same exact color/type of clothing, adjusting only the sleeve length and material depending on location and season. Check out our profile picture.
If you can get past our fashionista ways, that’s a picture of us when we went to Washington this weekend to learn about the story and otherworldly deliciousness of the golden Opal apple.
Can you say Opal apple superfan? *points to self*
I can’t even begin to write about all that this weekend meant to me in one single post. The story behind the Opal apple inspired me right down to my tippy toes and gave me lots to think about on just about every food and regular life level. We’d get back to the hotel each night and I’d be ready to talktalktalk for hours to process what we’d been learning about. Bjork would be ready to process by shutting off the world and sleeping. The classic extrovert/introvert marital dilemma. Really though, if you have a minute to read about the how and why of this special piece of fruit, I’d really encourage you to check out the website. Or call me and we’ll talk for hours.
If you don’t have a minute and you want the bottom line and FAST: think life-changing youth programs and rich community development with an emphasis on children. In addition to growing beautiful produce, this family-run orchard is all about serving people.
Now, on to apple business.
The Opal apple is
- Crispy like no other. I need apples to be crispy and the crunch-o-meter here is off the charts. HAPPY.
- Sweet enough for dessert. I mean, if I was the kind of person who eats apples for dessert. Psh.
- A teensy tiny bit tart, like an apple should be, making it stand out from my second favorite, the Honeycrisp.
- Golden. At the peak of ripeness, it’s a bright yellow with a supersoft blush of red.
- Never brown on the inside.
Oh wait, what’s that?
This apple seriously does not turn brown. Cut it up, take a bite, cut a wedge out, and put it in your fridge (or not) for a few days and you’ll still have this pristine white color. I don’t know about you but resuming snacking on my half eaten non-brown apple an hour or five after starting sounds like the highlight of my month.
In addition to the best apple flavor, juiciness, and texture, the everlasting pure color is the special sauce of the Opal apple. Which is why I hoard them.
One last note: Opal apples are not in season quite yet – sad face – but look for them at select grocery stores starting in December. For us peeps in Minneapolis, I hear that Lunds and Byerly’s are the places to get them. And it’s 150% likely that I’ll let you know when I see them on the shelves because I have some recipe ideas burning a hole in my brain.
In an attempt to save myself hours of reflective writing about, um, apples, and you from getting a thumb injury from scrolling for miles down this post, I’m going to let you explore the rest on your own.
I hope you sort of experience Opal apples through this massive montage of pictures, and I’ll see you on the other side. Mwah.
(Pst. Opals 4 life.)
Is the Opal Apple good for apple crisp and apple pie?
I just ate my first Opal, and it was delicious.
I tasted my first Opal, this week. Agree, an outstanding apple,…crisp sweet juicy, and definitely a floral taste…which, to me, was like a sweet distinctly cherry flavor. I love this apple!!
Opal Apple Sauce? I’d like to can some–are they good for canning Apple Sauce-do you have a recipe specific for canning Opal Apple Sauce?
Seriously, I tried an Opal last week for the first time, obsessed! Thank for the blog!
I recently found the opal Apple at Sprouts. I love the taste. I would love some recipe ideas.
Does anyone know if opal apples are good in applesauce? I usually use either Fuji or Honeycrisp and I always buy organic but this time my grocer is out of organic of those two apples and only has organic opal? Worth a try?
Hello, I work at Broetje Orchards here in Washington and let me tell you all that Honey Crisp were my absolute favorite apple til it was time tp harvest the Opal apples and my goodness, did my new gavorite apple change that first bite! For those of you who still haven’t tried one please do request at your nearest whole foods stores, they are wonderfully delicious!
I’ve been eating the Opal apples for over a month now so I’m not sure why you said they weren’t available yet. Some of them come from the Czech Republic.
Eating one right now! Very happy!
I have never heard of Opal apples but saw them yesterday at Walmart in Olive Branch MS and decided to try them. OH MY what a delicious apple…I will be buying more of these tasty delights!
Now on my second pack of four Opal apples…juicy, sweet, crisp, tart…..yellow outside, white inside even when cut!! An Opal everyday, first thing usually! Stocked by Aldi supermarket Preston, Lancashire, UK. More to follow…..
this is not a trick question . Do you think that the apple variety( ie the actual name of the apple) is Opal?
The Opal apple is my favorite now. I love Honey Crisp but they are so expensive. I saw the Opal for the first time this year and am a huge fan.
Thanks for the post. Found it searching “are opal apples hard or soft?” b/c we live in the middle of nowhere SE OK (but I’m originally from SE MN!) and Whole Foods is 2.5 hrs away in either direction, so we’re going to start getting our organic food from an Azure Standard dropoff. It’s only once a month, so if I’m going to buy apples, I need to make sure they are on the crisp side b/c I know they’ll keep longer.
You helped me decide to go ahead and order some. š
Great! Opal apples are the best. š Thanks, Emily!
So I was in MOM’S Organic Market yesterday picking up a few things. I got some fresh ground almond butter and wanted a couple of apples to eat with it. Initially I was going for the green apples when I spied this bright yellow gem. I had no idea what precious cargo I had gotten. Fast forward to that night, I slice off a couple of pieces. The first sweet burst of juiciness just blew me away!!! WOW. I had to find out the name of this piece of heaven in my mouth. OPAL! Never heard of it before then……but now a true favorite. I didn’t/couldn’t finish the whole thing so I left if on the counter to finish later. Imagine my surprise when I saw that my apple did not brown AT ALL!!!! Now I’m suspicious. I knew I bought an organic apple…..so why was it not brown? So the research began and ……now I’m on my way to get some more. NON-GMO & Organic but going out of season this month. Back to MOM’s I go.
Awesome! Love hearing that Carline!
Just discovered Opals at Harris Teeter in Raleigh NC and they have knocked Honeysweet out of my number 1 spot. Best Apple Ever!
Love hearing that Damien! I am actually doing a post with Opals TOMORROW! š You’ll have to check back.
Sorry Honeycrisp.
I can’t believe no one has asked you what kind of adorable purse you have filled with these delicious-looking apples! I would looove to know, if you’re willing to share! š
hahaha thanks Emily! I don’t even know what the brand is, honestly… I got it at some little small town tourist shop in northern MN last year!
Hi Lindsay! I’m also a teacher and could eat sea salted dark chocolate forever too, especially with a good glass of red…Just got back from Seattle where we tried the Opal at the farmers market; what a treat! I only bought two unfortunately, and we have savored the apples and shared the exquisite taste of these beauties with family. They are truly the BEST apples ever! Hope to find them here in CA. Great website you have.
Awesome! š
I just tried my first Opal about 2 weeks ago and I love them. Crunchy is my number 1 criteria and the sweetness with a hint of tart is a close second. The Opals are now my all time favorites…enough to do a search on them online ultimately stumbling on this page. Unfortunate the kind sold in my store here in Texas is not organic which is a big deal for me and are the only apples/fruit that eat non-organic. If you haven’t tried an Opal…treat yourself. btw, good blog.
So glad to hear it KN!
Super Bowl Sunday 2014, my husband and I were in our local HEB store near Austin, TX looking for healthy snacks. I saw these huge beautiful golden apples named Opal. Well one of my favorite gems is an Opal so I had to try it. Only bought two as they were kinda expensive for apples and I wasn’t sure I would like them. I had never heard of this type of apple but figured it was worth a shot to try. Personally my husband is a Red Delicious fan but not me. They bruise too easy and then become soft and brown. I lean towards Honeycrisp and Gala. Well hungry while driving home and not wanting to wait, I wiped off one of the new Opals. Sorry if not washing it first grosses out some people. That first sweet and yet tarty bite had me smiling ear to ear . I passed the apple over to my husband and he agreed. We gleefully shared that first Opal. Two days later I started eating the second apple but became full with almost half left so I refrigerated it. Today I decided to finish it and love, love the fact that it still is firm and white. Literally no brown spots. I definitely am heading back to my HEB grocery store for more ! This is my new favorite apple! And now having done my research I am ready to spread my knowledge and share my new found apple to my children and grandchildren! Thanks for sharing your blog.
Yay! Glad to hear it! š
Eating an Opal as I type this.
I had to Google and find out about this Apple I found at HEB in West Texas.
Crisp, sweet,
tangy, juicy, a little harder than most apples but this is good!
Glad you like it Jim!
Eating my first-ever opal apple right now! Delicious!
hooray! glad to hear it Kelsey!
Thank you for posting this blog about Opal apples!! I live in Washington and I went to a local produce market a couple weeks ago and discovered this apple. I went home and cut into it and took a bite and I was in love!! It is the absolute BEST apple EVER!!! I didn’t eat the entire apple and I put it in the fridge and noticed that it NEVER browned. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Still crisp and wonderful tasting even a couple days later. I went back to that market the next week to get more and they were all gone! I couldn’t remember what the apple was called so I was out of luck. I tried to describe it to a guy that worked there so he could help me, but he led me in the wrong direction towards a different variety apple and I knew by the first bite that it wasn’t the queen jewel.
Tasty Kitchen brought me to your blog for the Sausage and Red Petter Quiche but as an added bonus I now have what I’ve been looking for, the name of my new favorite apple….Opal!! The universe works wonders! š
Can’t wait to try some of your recipes!
Hooray! Thanks Karen!
I just discovered Opal apples at our local Vons (Central California)- they are amazing! Not only is the color beautiful, but the taste is incredible!
Glad you like them Tiffany! I love hearing from people who already love Opals.
What was the name of the orchard you visited? Can you tell us. We local Washingtonians want to visit it as well.
It’s called Broetje orchards, but it’s a very large orchard so they don’t do the you-pick thing. I think you can contact them about tours for groups, though! Check their website! š