Opal Apples Delivery or Pickup

The Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague and FruitSelect combined forces to create the Opal apple in 1999. The Opal apple was cultivated by crossing the Golden Delicious and Topaz apples. Opal apples are unique in the apple world. They are bright yellow and have a sweet, tangy taste and a delightfully crunchy texture. One of the most amazing natural features of the Opal apple comes from its low polyphenol oxidase levels, which makes it resistant to browning after cutting.

The Opal apple grows in France, the United Kingdom, Austria, and the Netherlands, but in America it only grows in Washington state, cultivated by FirstFruits Farms LLC. The company's 5,000 acres of orchards in Washington makes it the largest contiguous orchard in the United States.

The opal apple's unique ability to resist browning makes it an excellent apple to serve freshly sliced or to cook with recipes. A sliced Opal apple adds a fresh crunch to salads or makes for a healthy snack in your kid's lunchbox. Creative recipes include using the Opal apple with cranberry to make chutney to spread on crackers with brie cheese and topping crostinis with warm goat cheese, diced Opal apples, and a drizzle of honey.

When julienne-sliced, the Opal apple's crisp flesh makes for an excellent slaw topping on sandwiches or adds a pleasant crunch to soups as a garnish. The Opal apple juice adds a tangy zest to sauces, too, and pairs well with pork and chicken. 

The Opal apple comes to the grocery store directly from the orchard ripe and ready to eat. However, one must avoid overripe apples. One bad apple ruins the bunch. This adage has more truth to it than many people understand. Apples have a porous skin that emits a gaseous compound called ethylene, which promotes ripening and continues until the apple rots. The Opal apple has low ethylene levels, which help slow the process, but it doesn't stop entirely.

Apples are packed and shipped using special trays that keep the fruit from jostling together and bruising. A bruise on an apple speeds up the rotting process by allowing more air through the already porous skin. You should select single apples free from bruises or other cuts or dents. Bags of apples present the opportunity for bruising and don't give you the option to choose which apples come in the bag. You'll want to be sure any bag of apples you buy doesn't contain a bruised apple, or the entire bag is at risk of spoiling early.

Opal apples can last up to two weeks at room temperature, provided they have no bruises or blemishes. In the refrigerator, the Opal apple will last up to two months or more. It would be best if you don't wash your Opal apples until you're ready to eat them, as this will accelerate the natural ripening and rotting process.

You can save time shopping for Opal apples by using the Instacart app. Simply add the quantity of Opal apples you want to your cart. Once you check out, an Instacart shopper will shop your order and will have it ready for in-store pick-up in as little as 2 hours! In many cases, orders can qualify for same-day home delivery!