Thanks to its universal, extraordinarily gratifying flavour and its appearance - both familiar and elegant - Melinda Golden Delicious is the most famous Melinda apple and also the favourite with Italian families.
Its very quality and typical characteristics are the reason why it has enjoyed "D.O.P. Mela Val di Non" recognition since 2003.
Towards mid-September every year, when harvesting begins, our valleys are lit up with its colour and filled with its goodness.
And this goodness just keeps on shining! This variety is in fact available all year round.
Other common names: Golden

FLAVOUR: Agreeable and extraordinarily gratifying due to its perfect balance of sweetness, aromas and tart components.
SIZE AND WEIGHT: These apples are generally 75-80 mm in diameter and weigh 190-250 g.
SHAPE: Truncated cone shape, generally elongated, with a vertical/horizontal axis length ratio usually of 1.1:1. This ratio tends to be greater for apples grown in mountain areas, where the pedoclimatic conditions of the growing environment cause the fruit to become longer. The surface tends to be rounded, but may also present slight or distinct ribbing.
SKIN COLOUR AND CHARACTERISTICS: The colour varies from green to intense yellow depending on the picking period and level of ripeness. It is generally smooth with evident, well-distributed spots. It may occasionally have small areas of slight russeting.
FLESH COLOUR AND CHARACTERISTICS: Creamy in colour. Generally compact and crisp, juicy with a tendency to soften as it ripens, with overripe fruits becoming floury.
PICKING PERIOD: Generally from the last ten days in September to the end of October. Picking usually occurs in two stages. The first sees harvesting of the fruit on the outer part of the tree, which, precisely due to its greater exposure to the sun, reaches ideal colouring and ripeness for picking before the rest. The second pick, usually 7-8 days after the first, removes all the remaining apples, which have now ripened perfectly thanks to removal from the tree of the fruit picked the first time. This double picking is obviously laborious and time-consuming, but it plays an important part in enhancing the apple's quality parameters.
AVAILABILITY: Melinda Golden is the best apple for long storage as it does not require any kind of preservative. This is only possible however thanks to the special refrigerated storage cells with controlled atmosphere, where temperature and air composition are created and maintained, into which the apples are put just hours after picking. This valuable characteristic means it is available all year roun
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: The pink blush is a red over-colouring of variable intensity and coverage occasionally found on some fruits, especially those on the parts of the tree most exposed to the sun, when there is a big difference between day and night-time temperatures in the period immediately before ripening, in particularly in mountain areas. This pink blush generally indicates particularly good organoleptic characteristics.
STORAGE: As soon as possible after purchase, put the apples in the Fruit and veg compartment in a normal home refrigerator (ideal temperature 3-4 °C) and take them out no more than 2 hours before eating. The apples should not be stored for several days at room temperature, either in the summer or the winter, as temperatures of over 4 °C speed up their ripening process and deterioration of the organoleptic and physical characteristics of their flesh. Even storage in dark cool places (e.g. home cellars), while preferable to storage in ordinary conditions, does not keep the apples in as good a condition as that ensured by refrigeration.
HOW TO ENJOY THEM: Melinda Golden Delicious apples are excellent raw, with or without their peel. When eating them unpeeled, they should be washed thoroughly to remove any substances in the environment that may have deposited on the skins. Drinking water is quite sufficient for this operation, without the need for any other product. Due to their low calorie content and the fact that they aid digestion, they can be eaten at breakfast, after meals or as a snack at any time during the day. Also excellent in fruit salads and other fruit platters. NB: in order to enjoy all the fragrance of these apples, they should not only be stored as described above in a home refrigerator, but also eaten within 7 days after purchase.