Found this today in the organic section at Jungle Jim’s. At $6.99 a pound (!!!) I wasn’t going to get a whole pound just to try. The cashier did a double take when she rang it in and asked, “Is that right? $2.59 for a single apple?” I said it was my splurge for the week. What intrigued me was the name. I was thinking of all sorts of possibilities, esp. liturgical ones. Maybe St. Therese’s Feast Day (she with the Roses), or maybe Mama Mary’s (she being the Hidden Treasure). I found out it won’t work for St. Therese, as this apple supposedly is only available around November, and St. Therese’s feast is in October.

Despite it being pretty, it just didn’t deliver enough flavor to justify a second purchase. It’s tarty and crunchy enough, but a bit too starchy, almost like a (icky) Red Delicious. It was fragrant, though, and the pink is a nice watermelony hue that would be beautiful atop a tart or some other pastry crust, if it maintains color throughout the baking process. I’m not interested enough to try. The price doesn’t help either, even if it is organic. I do want to give kudos to the growers for introducing us to this heirloom variety.