There's a new apple in town

What's with the yellow apple? The Opal Apple from Washington State is making its debut at Harris Teeter in February and March, selling for $1.99 a pound on VIC special. Discovered in Europe 10 years ago, it's a cross between a Golden Delicious and Topaz, with a yellow, freckled skin.

Tasters in my office noticed two things: Sweetness, almost achingly sweet, and crunch. Major crunch. I also noticed a little hint of spiciness. The flesh inside is cream-colored instead of pure white.

Since the texture is so distinctive, I'm not sure that would hold up well in a baked dessert, but I definitely thought of it in a Waldorf salad or a fruit salad.

Especially when I found out about another characteristic: It resists browning. To test it, I sliced one and kept it out on my desk for several hours. In the pictures below, the one on the left is freshly sliced, the middle picture is after 1 hour, and the one on the right is after 3 hours.

It's a little FrankenApple not to see browning for that long. But if you like sliced apples in a lunchbox, or you really like to eat a half an apple at a time, Opal might be the apple of your eye.