🍋 ‘Lemonade’ apple

Not an Heirloom - ‘Lemonade’ is a New Zealand-bred apple, developed by Plant & Food Research and released commercially in the early 2000s. It is a cross of ‘Gala’ × ‘Braeburn’.

The name comes from its distinctive bright, refreshing, almost citrus-like flavor, rather than from the fruit actually tasting strongly of lemon.

The big attraction is the flavor and texture.

 ‘Lemonade’ is:

• Very crisp
• Extremely juicy
• Sweet but distinctly tart
• Highly aromatic
• Has a refreshing, citrusy acidity
• Generally has a fine, firm texture

It has considerably more acidity than many modern sweet apples, which gives it that “lemonade” character.

It is an apple that makes you want to eat another one immediately rather than an apple that’s primarily interesting because of its history.

Appearance

The fruit is generally:

• Medium-sized
• Yellow/green background
• Often with an orange-red to red blush
• Smooth, attractive skin
• Fairly uniform fruit

It isn’t nearly as visually dramatic as Arkansas Black, but it can be very attractive in a premium display.

Harvest and storage

‘Lemonade’ is generally a mid- to late-season apple, depending upon location.

One advantage is that it has good storage ability while retaining its crispness and flavor.