Kissabel pink- and red-flesh apples arrive in Washington

I went home for a quick lunch with my wife. She cut up some apple slices. One of the varieties looked like an apple mixed with a pear and some bright red beets - that’s the only way I can describe it. Its crisp, tasty - with a nice sweet tart mix.

What kind of apple is this?

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask my mom.”

I called my mother-in-law, who said she got them from a friend at the Wenatchee Senior Center. 

“I think she (the nice lady) said they were called “Red Kiss-able.”

I looked it up and found some information.

Who Grows Kissabel apples locally in Washington?

The Kissabel apple is finally making its wide release in North America - this harvest season. The Kissabel apples, known for years in Europe and Australia have an amazing appearance and wonderful flavor and are grown locally by Stemilt Growers, an American licensed partner of the IFORED program for the production of the Kissabel varieties of apples.

‘We began sales last year with small volumes of the Jaune variety. This season we’ll have an increased supply and we’ll be offering the market Kissabel Rouge for the first time. The campaign will start in October and we’re expecting stocks to run out fast: the fruits’ quality is high and this product has attracted a great deal of curiosity.’ - Brianna Shales (Stemilt Growers marketing director) speaking with TheProduceNews.com

 

Common questions about the new Kissabel apple variety

What is a Kissabel apple? (pronounced "Kiss-able")

There are various versions of the Kissabel apple.

* The pink pearl apple - "a golden exterior with an interior that is described as having:  "A pink blush"

* Uniquely dark pink - with red flesh. This is the kind that I tried. These tasty apples have a delicious crunch and a great balance between tart and sweet.

Which country developed the Kissabel apples?

They were first bred in France, but are now grown in 14 countries across the planet. They made their debut, down under in Australia, this past April of 2023 (Australia’s fall harvest time.)

The red color was developed by crossing wild varieties: GMO-free and without any artificial coloring processes!

Like other apple varieties, Kissabel’s are picked between August and October in the Northern Hemisphere, and between February and April in the Southern Hemisphere.

Where can you buy Kissabel apples?

Stop by the Stemilt Retail Store on 97A

3615 US-97-ALT, Wenatchee, WA 98801

Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Telephone: (509) 663-7848

Toll Free: (800) 315-2306

E-mail: orders@sincerelyfresh.com

Are Kissabel apples genetically modified?

'Kissabel® is GMO-free and obtained the red fleshiness through a natural cross with wild apples. Kissabel® is the result of more than 20 years of breeding in the South of France. There are different color varieties with red to pinkish flesh as well as with red, yellow, or orange skin.' -Montague.com.au

INFO: Stemilt, TheProduceNews.com, Montague.com.au