Arkansas Black

That's for sure.

And the star, oh baby, the star is the Arkansas Black.

This thing is so hard, you could throw it through a window and and make it go all the way to the other side of the room and out the other window.

This apple is so firm, so hard, so crisp, and so delicious.

And very, very dense flesh.

Very crunchy.

One of the hardest apples you'll ever encounter is this Arkansas Black.

The flavor and the texture...

Rising demand for varieties most shoppers had never heard of a decade ago.

Arkansas Black, Roxbury Russet, Winesap.

Apples that carry a story instead of just a shelf life, finding buyers precisely because they're not the apple everybody already knows.

None of this fixes the deeper problems still facing small orchards.

Okay.

So, uh, those people would include people who like Arkansas Black apples? Because on your list right now, it's the worst.

You describe it as a tooth-shattering oddity.

Yes, the Arkansas Black is currently in apple hell.

What's wrong with it, in your mind?

Its density is its main problem.

Because if you pick the right...

For example, let's say you got a Arkansas Black apple out there.

You pick that bad boy, it ain't wonderful when you first eat it, but eat it about three to six months later and it's gonna have a different flavor profile altogether.

There are apples that store extremely well.

Here are just a few varieties that you may have heard of but never knew how to use.

Arkansas Black is aptly named with a deep black-red glassy skin and yellowish flesh.

It is an old variety believed to originate right here in Benton County, Arkansas.

Arkansas Black is sweet and tart and keeps well in cold storage.

Braeburn is crisp and aromatic and blends sweetness with tartness, making it just right for snacks and salads.

It's also a good apple for baking, apple sauce, and for freezing.