Flavor: Juicy sweet-tartness; flavor heightens with age
Approximate Ripening: Late September – early October
Uses: Baking, cooking, saucing, eating, freezing, and general all-purpose usage
Trivia: The official state apple of Ohio! Melrose is a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious, developed during World War II by Freeman S. Howlett at the Ohio State Agricultural Experiment Station in Wooster, OH. It gained rapid popularity in areas of the U.S. and France upon its 1944 introduction, but that popularity faded as more marketable apples (e.g. Golden Delicious and Red Delicious) flooded the market.
Notes: Melrose may not have taken off nationally, but Ohioans know the quality of this homegrown winner. Large and squat, Melrose apples have yellow-green skin streaked with red markings and bearing russets. The creamy white flesh carries a juicy sweet-tartness that sharpens with age. Fortunately, Melrose is one of the best keeping apples around. Later in the season, after a couple months of cold storage, is when the true potential of Melrose is unlocked.