Pacific Rose™ Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Pacific Rose™ apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 7 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have a blocky, rectangular to conical shape with flat shoulders and a slightly lopsided appearance. The apple’s skin is thin, smooth, glossy, and taut, covered in prominent tan lenticels with some ribbing. The surface also has a faint yellow-green base coloring, almost entirely covered in crimson to red-pink blush. Underneath the skin, the ivory to pale yellow flesh is fine-grained, aqueous, firm, and crisp, encasing a small central core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Pacific Rose™ apples should feel heavy for their size and release a light, floral and sweet aroma. The apples contain a mild, balanced, and mostly sweet taste with low acidity and bear subtle tropical, citrusy, to floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Pacific Rose™ apples are grown in both hemispheres, providing year-round availability. In New Zealand, the apples are harvested from late May through October, and in Washington state, they are available from November through April.
Current Facts
Pacific Rose™ apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a New Zealand variety belonging to the Rosacea family. The trademarked apple was created from a cross between splendour and gala apples in the late 20th century and was one of several apples to be released in a Pacific apple series. All the varieties found in the branded Pacific series, including Pacific Beauty, also known as Sciearly, and Pacific Queen, also known as Scireed, were developed from the same parentage cross of gala and splendour. Each varietal has a slightly different appearance, ripening time, and flavor, considered distinct from one another. Pacific Rose™ apple is the most famous of the Pacific apples, and the fruit’s name is a branded label created for the late-season variety known as Scirose. Pacific Rose™ apples are grown in both the southern and northern hemispheres, allowing for year-round production, and the apples are favored among consumers for their sweet flavoring, low acidity, distinct coloring, and extended storage capabilities. Pacific Rose™ apples are typically consumed as a dessert cultivar, eaten straight, out of hand, or they are incorporated fresh into culinary preparations for their sweet flavor and crisp nature.
Nutritional Value
Pacific Rose™ apples are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, and calcium to protect bones and teeth. The apples also provide vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, and other nutrients, including iron, vitamin E, magnesium, boron, zinc, copper, and vitamin K.
Applications
Pacific Rose™ apples have a sweet and subtly floral, fruity flavor well suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The apples are primarily consumed out of hand, valued for their fine-grained, crisp texture and sweet taste, but they can also be sliced into salads, chopped into slaws, or mixed into grain bowls. Pacific Rose™ apples can also be layered into sandwiches for added texture, served with cheese, meat, and drizzled honey on charcuterie boards, or sprinkled with cinnamon and served as a fresh topping over French toast, pancakes, and waffles. Try blending Pacific Rose™ apples into smoothies or stirring into oatmeal for a sweet addition. Beyond fresh preparations, Pacific Rose™ apples can be cooked into applesauce, apple butter, chutney, and jams. The apples can also be incorporated into crisps, cakes, muffins, bars, and cookies, baked into streusel, or hollowed, stuffed with spices and nuts, wrapped in pastry, and cooked as a decadent dessert. In addition to sweet dishes, Pacific Rose™ apples can be braised, sauteed, and baked into savory main dishes, especially with roasted meats, or they can be minced into stuffing and vegetable side dishes as a sweet complement. The apples can also be dried and eaten as a chewy snack. Pacific Rose™ apples pair well with nuts such as almonds, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts, spices including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, fruits such as strawberries, pears, oranges, and bananas, or meats including pork, poultry, and turkey. Whole, unwashed Pacific Rose™ apples will keep 1 to 3 weeks when stored in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Apple slices can also be frozen for extended use, later utilized for sauces and baking.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Pacific Rose™ apples were named after the island of New Zealand, the apple’s origination site. The island is located in the Pacific Ocean, giving the fruit its Pacific descriptor, and the apple’s rosy moniker was derived from the skin’s unusual red-pink hue. Pacific Rose™ apples are also nicknamed Pink Beauty and New Zealand Rose apples in some commercial markets. Despite the variety’s many given names, Pacific Rose™ apples are considered one of the most successful apple cultivars released through ENZA, a New Zealand-based company that has been growing and exporting apples for over 50 years. ENZA is rumored to stand for “Eat New Zealand Apples,” and the company develops new and improved apple varieties to sell domestically and internationally. ENZA is also known for its release of other well-known brand name apple varieties, including Jazz™ apples and Envy™ apples.
Geography/History
Pacific Rose™ apples were developed in New Zealand through ENZA, a company formerly known as the New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board. The variety was created from a natural cross of gala and splendour apples in 1984. Pacific Rose™ apples were selected for their large size, pink coloring, and sweet flavor, released to commercial growers in New Zealand in 1990 and later in North America in 1996. When the variety was initially produced, it was known under the name Scirose, but it was later changed to Pacific Rose™ as a trademarked brand name to generate a wider consumer audience. Today Pacific Rose™ apples are commercially cultivated in New Zealand under ENZA and in Washington State under the Oppenheimer marketed group in North America. The apples are also exported from New Zealand to regions worldwide, especially to Asia. The Pacific Rose™ apples featured in the photograph above were sourced from a FairPrice Supermarket in Singapore.
