Crimson Gold Apple Delivery or Pickup

The Crimson Gold apple has ruby-red skin with a yellow background visible around the stem and shaded areas of the skin on the outside. The crisp flesh has a cream color and an outstanding balance between tart and sweet. You can enjoy this apple as a snack or use it for baking as it retains its texture and shape at high temperatures. A peeled and sliced Crimson Golden apple makes a great addition to a cheese plate or antipasto platter. The Crimson Gold apple bakes well and also works well as a base for apple sauce.

The Crimson Gold apple was created by Albert Etter in 1944 when he crossed a crabapple and a regular apple. The small Crimson Gold apple was initially named the Little Rosybloom, but Etter died before completing the patent paperwork. After the Little Rosybloom trees were mislabeled in the orchard where they were growing, this apple variety almost disappeared. The apple was saved from near extinction when a single limb of a multi-grafted test tree was identified as the Rosybloom in 1970 and subsequently renamed Crimson Gold.

Producers pick the Crimson Gold apples when they are ripe and ready to eat, so you will rarely find an unripe apple in the market. However, one with a prominent yellow coloring may indicate it was picked too early. You'll want to look for primarily red-colored apples with minimal yellow showing. Apples release a gaseous compound called ethylene which induces ripening. This release doesn't end when the apple gets picked, so picking an unripe apple doesn't mean you can't eat it. You simply need to let it continue ripening.

You should avoid apples with bruising or blemishes, as this can accelerate the release of ethylene. Not only will the bruised apple ripen faster, but it will affect the apples around it as well. The apple's porous skin allows the ethylene to both exit and enter, which is why one bad apple really can ruin the bushel. 

If you have a root cellar, you can keep Crimson Gold apples there for several months. They need a cool, dry place for the best long-term storage. On your counter, a Crimson Gold apple will last one or two weeks, depending on how ripe it was when you purchased it. If you don't have a root cellar, you can keep the Crimson Gold apple in your refrigerator for four to six weeks.

For more extended storage, you can freeze Crimson Gold apples. Experts recommend you wash, core, and slice the apples first. Then soak them in a mixture of water and lemon juice and lay them out on a sheet pan to dry. Then place them in the freezer for two hours, at which point you can transfer them to bags for storage in your freezer for up to one year. If you freeze your apples for later use, they will lose the firmness they have when fresh, so frozen apples are best used in cooking rather than snacking.