Mountain Rose Apples are a fabled treat from the Mount Hood Area in Oregon. The apple is said to be discovered by cowboy Lucky Newell after recently purchasing an 80 acre apple orchard in 1959. Lucky was on a horse ride with his wife and daughter when he came across a young, wild apple tree near the edge of the property. When Lucky grabbed an apple and took a bite, he was surprised by it’s ruby red flesh. Lucky commented that the flesh was just as red as his wife’s lips, then rode off leaving the mysterious tree behind. It wasn’t until 20 years later after Lucky sold the farm that a young grower named Louis Kimzey comes across the apple. Surprised by the apple’s tart taste and red hue, Kimzey took them to his nearby nursery and began grafting a new apple, dubbing them Hidden Rose. Kimzey then shared the new sapling with a small number of growers around the Hood River Fruit Loop creating the fable of the Hidden Rose.Â
Today, Mountain Rose Apples are solely cultivated in Oregon and sold in very limited quantities through farmer’s markets and select distributors. The season for these gems only lasts from the end of October to the beginning of December making them the fall time seasons last, delicious hurrah!
How to Enjoy Mountain Rose Apples
Mountain Rose apples have a sweet, tart, and berry like flavor making them perfect to eat straight out of hand. The taste has been described in hundreds of ways ranging from raspberries to Jolly Ranchers! Personally, I describe Mountain Rose’s as the perfect pink lemonade. Their flavor makes them perfect to pair with fresh cheeses or in a fall-time salad.Â
Their beautiful red flesh and tart flavor make them the perfect baking apple. Cooking the Mountain Rose draws out a full, berry-esque sweetness. My personal favorite use is in a fall-time tart to showcase the apples natural beauty.Â
The favored use of the Mountain Rose for locals in Mount Hood is a rustic, delicious classic apple pie with brown sugar crumbles.
Mountain Rose Apples can have many descriptors but the most important one is: Elusive! Their minimal cultivation and distributions make these apples incredibly sought after. They are available at the store now for a limited time, don’t miss out!!
This Week's SFF Spotlight: Bad Boys by Park City Creamery
This stinky little cheese is produced by Park City Creamery made from the milk of local Utah cows. This natural rind cheese starts fruits and grassy and becomes more earthy and mushroomy over time. A beautiful oozy cream-line will develop as it ages. Due to its small format Bad Boys is perfect for your après ski or any outdoor adventure picnic. Serve at room temperature. Pairs well with Pinot Noir, Burgundy, white Bordeaux and Loire. This cheese will be available as apart of the SFF upgrade and in our store for a limited time!
What’s a Sustainably Farmed Food (SFF) Share?
Our Sustainably Farmed Food Share (SFF for short) program is a CSA-style food share subscription. Subscribers receive a bag filled with organically grown and ethically raised food items every week. Unlike a traditional CSA, our SFF program is avialable all year long and has options to add items like artisan cheeses, ethically raise meats, farm fresh eggs, fresh-squeezed organic orange juice, and more! We upload recipes and details about the delicious items going into your share each week on our What’s In The Bag.Â
Learn more about this opportunity to support organic farming and local businesses
About the Author
Bobby Mallick
Bobby is an LHF Green Grocer & SFF Administrator. He's inspired by Eastern flavors, Western techniques, and all things delicious!
