One of our biggest oddballs we’ll carry all year will be on the shelf this week: the Pink Pearl apple is an unassuming, pale piece of fruit with bright burgundy flesh!

Discovered in the 60s, red-fleshed apples have been going through testing and breeding programs, and the Hidden Rose has been the top pick of the group. Farmers are currently hedging their bets that this will be the wave of the future; replacing yellow fleshed varieties similar to what has happened with grapefruit. And why not? The red pigment is an excellent phytochemical that has been shown to lower arterial stiffness by 21%, which in turn lowers blood pressure and gives a boost to heart health.

The flavor is most analogous to pomegranate: sharp and a few tannins on the finish. These could work out-of-hand, but I plan to do a little baking with them. They have dense, starchy flesh that will hold up well under heat, and the color should provide an incredible contrast when mixed with a few other varieties.

Last year, these were called “hidden rose,” and grown by a few niche orchards in northern California. This year, however, some of the big boys of organic farming have their first run of production, and quality is significantly better than it has been in the past. This being said, Pink Pearls are intensely seasonal. Give them a shot before they’re gone!