Description

The Melrose variety was created by Freeman S. Howlett at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, USA, in 1937. It was officially released for commercial production during World War II, in 1944, and was soon introduced to France. The variety originated from a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious apples. It bears fruit regularly and abundantly.

Taste

Ripe Melrose apples initially have a slightly tart, mildly acidic flavor that becomes sweeter during storage. The apple is less sharp than its parent variety, Jonathan, and develops aromatic, spicy undertones over time.

Fruit

Melrose apples are medium to large in size and have a flattened, angular, squat-round shape. They often display squared shoulders, giving them a boxy to rectangular appearance. The skin is thick, firm, and slightly tough, covered with patches of russet-brown blush. These russeted areas have a sandy, coarse texture and appear either as broad zones or small raised dots. The base color is yellow-green when ripe, often overlaid with a muted, subdued red-orange blush that may be pale or streaked. A light gray bloom coats the fruit surface, and small pale lenticels are scattered across the skin. Beneath the skin, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is dense, firm, juicy, coarse, and crisp. Depending on growing conditions, the flesh may appear slightly greenish and develops a pleasant fruity aroma after a period of storage.