Red Fleshed Apples -
Peach Melba
This is a red-fleshed apple resembling those bred by Albert Etter, though not bred by him.
It bears a striking resemblance to Mott's Pink, an American red-fleshed apple. The flavour is very like Mott's Pink: fairly sweet but a bit lemony until fully ripe. The flesh has a similar colour, the fruit has the same shape, and it fruits at about the same time (early mid-season). The seeds are similar; medium sized and flat, though a slightly different shape to those in MP. Even the blossom is similar - crinkly - but pale pink rather than deep pink. The wood is unpigmented.
Pictures are shown below; left to right ..... intact Peach Melba, cut fruit... then on the second line, Peach Melba blossom and Mott's Pink blossom. You can see the effect of the 'crinkly' gene, which is rare, so it makes these varieties fairly easy to recognize when they're in flower.
I haven't yet done a vitamin C test on Peach Melba but from its appearance and flavour I imagine it will be around 8mg per 100g fruit.
My tree has only fruited once so far; it is fairly healthy and vigorous but I have noted that the fruit is suffering from scab or an alternaria-like infection (black dots on the skin).
Fruit and blossom
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
