The most commonly available apples in the market have white flesh. However, did you know that there are specialty apple varieties with red or pink flesh?
Colored flesh is either the result of selective breeding or environmental factors like temperature and availability of sunlight.
So, let’s take a look at some of the exciting apple varieties with red-color flesh on the inside.
12 Common Varieties Of Red-Fleshed Apples
While red skin on the outside is normal for apples, the red color on the inside may seem odd.
Interestingly, this is a natural phenomenon, and such apples are edible.
This unique pigmentation occurs because some apples have naturally red flesh, or the plant may have been cultivated to have this color.
Read on to find out more about these apple varieties.
1. The Lucy Apples
The Lucy is a stunning apple cultivar with bright red skin, white flecks, and deep-red flesh.
It’s a cross between the delicious Honeycrisp and red-fleshed Airlie Red apple.
It features the best characteristics of both parents, with the delicious flavors of the Honeycrisp and the striking flesh color of the Airlie red apple.
This apple tastes sweet, and it’s very similar to Honeycrisp.
However, it has notes of berries that make it slightly tangy.
There are two variants of Lucy apples—Lucy Rose and Lucy Glo.
Of these, the Lucy Rose has red skin and red flesh while Lucy Glo has yellow skin and red flesh.
2. Pink Pearl Apples
Pink Pearl apples are specially-bred apple cultivars with translucent yellow or green skin and bright pink flesh.
It’s an exciting variety because of its bright yellow or green skin and rich pink flesh, which is an unusual combination for apples.
This apple was developed in the 1940s from another red-fleshed variety called “Surprise.”
The trees are cultivated in and around California, where the environmental conditions favor this color formation.
The fruits are of medium size. They have a conical shape with tapered ends.
The apples have a unique sweet and tart flavor.
Many newer varieties, like the Pink Princess, have also been developed from the Pink Pearl.
3. Thornberry Apples
Thornberry apples are an exciting apple variety with yellow and red skin and vivid pink flesh.
It’s a crab apple variety that is good for cooking and baking.
Thornberry apple trees produce beautiful purple blossoms that later transform into yellow fruits.
These apples are tart and have strong and bold flavors.
They also have a delicate hint of sweetness, but the tartness is more prominent.
The flesh is crispy with notes of berry.
However, it’s not very juicy; hence, Thornberry apples aren’t great for snacking.
The fruits are medium-size and are available from early October.
4. Geneva Crab Apples
As the name suggests, Geneva Crab is a crab apple variety.
It originated in Ontario in Canada and is one of the apples with very dark red flesh.
The core has a delicate white color, while the rest of the skin is deep red.
This multi-purpose apple has sharp sour notes and hints of sweetness.
Geneva Crab apples range from small to medium size, depending on the growth conditions.
Due to the bright colors, it’s an ornamental apple.
It’s widely used to make cider, and the dark color adds more color to cider.
These apples are also good for baking and cooking. They’re also used to make jelly and preserves.
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5. Mountain Rose Apples
Mountain Rose is specialty produce with bright yellow or green skin and attractive blushing pink on the inside.
The pink flesh has white specks, and it’s crisp and deliciously tart.
This fruit is flavorful, with hints of strawberry, citrus, and even cotton candy. Related Reading: A Unique Strawberry that Tastes Like Pineapple
This apple is called the Mountain Rose because it grows near Mount Hood in Oregon.
It has earned extra attention because of its unusual color combination of yellow skin and red flesh.
This apple is a beautiful addition to salads and fruit platters. It’s also good for making applesauce and juice.
6. Giant Russian Apples
You could easily mistake the flesh of a Giant Russia apple for a beet because of how intense the red color is.
These apples develop from deep reddish-pink flowers and are large.
This tart crab apple variety is red on the inside when you cut into it, which is highly unusual for apples.
The flavor and color are perfect for making tart cider.
Due to its strong sourness, it’s not great for snacking. However, you can use it in cooking and baking recipes.
7. Grenadine Apples
Grenadine apples are easy to recognize by their red or somewhat purplish skin color.
They look like Asian pears with their elongated shape with visible lenticels.
The apple trees are a native of Humboldt County in California.
The fruits develop from deep pink blossoms and have juicy pink flesh on the inside.
They’re good for eating raw. When freshly plucked, these apples are quite tart.
The flavors mellow in storage, and they taste sweeter.
8. Almata Apples
Almata apples are small, round crab apples. They have good flavors and are great for snacking.
These apples develop from grey flowers and have dark red skin.
The flesh is soft, juicy, and pink. It’s deliciously tart, with just the right mix of sweetness.
It’s the perfect size for a dessert apple and is good for those who don’t like their apples to be too sweet.
The texture of the flesh is soft, but it’s not too crispy.
This apple is more tart than sweet when freshly plucked. The sweetness develops in storage.
9. Mott’s Pink Apples
Mott’s pink apple has similar pink blush color on the outside as well as the inside.
It’s widely used to make pink apple sauce because of this color.
The skin is smooth and light pink. It develops a sticky sweet flavor when fully ripe.
These apples also have very pleasant scents that infuse into apple sauce and jams and make them aromatic.
The flowers from which Mott’s Pink fruits develop have a dark pink color.
The pigmentation of the apple depends on environmental factors.
When the conditions aren’t favorable for the pigments to get activated, Mott’s Pink apples can end up having very pale pink flesh.
10. Rubaiyat Apples
Rubaiyat apples are one of the most prized apple varieties from the Rosetta collection.
Etter, an apple farmer, developed this variety from “Surprise” apples that have red flesh but dull yellow skin.
It has the characteristic flesh color of the parent but is higher in quality and tastes much better.
The blossoms of the Rubaiyat tree are dark pink and lush.
This changes into dark red flesh in the fruits. They’re tiny, sweet, and very crunchy.
These apples resemble crab apples but are bite-sized and better for snacking.
The flavor may vary according to the growing conditions of the plant.
Those that are well-cared for and receive good nutrition develop intensely sweet and bold flavors.
The color can also range from dark pink to beet color, based on the season and growth conditions.
11. Scarlet Surprise Apples
Scarlet Surprise is an American apple cultivar that is extremely red on the inside.
The skin and the flesh have almost the same color. Hence the apple is very colorful and attractive.
The flowers of the Scarlet Surprise trees are also dark red and have a prominent red stain.
The fruits are small. They have a slightly elongated conical shape.
The apples are sweet and tart at the same time.
Although it’s just the right size for a dessert apple, it’s not preferred by everyone because of its strong tartness.
It’s better suited for cooking.
However, the apples become sweeter in storage and are easier to eat after they develop some sweetness.
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12. Buford Red Flesh Apples
Buford red flesh apples have crimson flesh on the inside.
The apples have glossy red skin with specks of white on the outside.
They’re small-size apples that grow on trees with beautiful green and orange leaves.
These apples are crisp and tart, with high moisture levels. They’re very juicy too.
Buford red flesh apples are ideal for red or pink sauces, chutneys, and juices.
The flavors are sourer than sweet.
However, the fruits become sweeter in storage.
So, if you wait for their sweetness to develop, they will balance the tartness, and you can use them in more ways.
