Description
Melba is yellow to lime-green in color, with streaks and blushes of pink and red. Lightly sweet with a hint of tartness, Melba’s fine, white flesh and thin skin give it a pleasing crispness, and it is good for both fresh eating and cooking.
Melba’s parents are McIntosh and Liveland Raspberry. Also known as Lowland Raspberry or Red Cheek, Liveland Raspberry is an early season apple that originated in the Lithuanian province of Liveland. Now rare, it was introduced to the United States in 1883. While McIntosh contributes to Melba’s fragrant, sweet-tart flavor, Liveland Raspberry influences its early ripeness and supplies its tender flesh and thin skin.
Discovered: 1898, Canada
Parentage: McIntosh x Liveland Raspberry
Harvest: Early Season
History
Pomologist W. T. Macoun (for whom the apple of the same name is named) developed Melba at the Central Experiment Farm in Ottawa, Canada.