Williams’ Pride

Williams’ Pride (Co-op 23) was developed at Purdue University at West Lafayette as part of the PRI breeding program (the combined efforts of Universities of Purdue, Rutgers, and Illinois) and introduced in 1987. It's probably the most popular summer apple among the newly developed disease-resistant introductions. Like Redfree, another PRI intro, it’s actually crisp, which is rare for a summer apple. The deep purple, roundish-conic, irregularly-shaped fruit is highlighted with areas of glowing rosy red and covered with a thin bloom. The light cream-colored flesh has red staining just under the skin. Its long ripening period means you don’t have to eat them all at once.

Williams’ Pride is firm, crisp and very juicy. Yet, heritage apple snobs that we are, we dismissed it for years until we finally ended up with a bushel of drops in our kitchen. Wow. Turns out this is one aromatic apple. Take a whiff and imagine the scents of watermelon, strawberry, roses and honey mingling in the breeze on a warm summer day. Take a bite and get a burst of very ripe melon with undertones of dark, sweet cherry. This apple has enough acid in the background to prevent it from becoming cloying, yet not enough to make your mouth shudder like so many other apples will.

We enjoy Williams’ Pride fresh, caramelized or as rosy sauce. It really stands out as a dried apple. Its complex flavors are amplified by drying so that it fairly shouts out peach, banana and vanilla birthday cake on every bite.