New Kissabel apple variety is red on the inside - In Season

Apr 11, 2025

And they’re apple-solutely delicious.

Montague Farms, the apple producer who brought us Jazz, Ambrosia, SweeTango and Smitten apples, among others, has announced the arrival of its latest Kissabel apple harvest.

What sets Kissabel apart from any other apple variety is its striking pink/red flesh and star-shaped cross-section.

Available in limited numbers last season, this year, the harvest is expected to yield nearly 36,000 kilograms of apples. And 2025 also brings with it two new Kissabel varieties – Kissabel Summer, with a pink-orange skin and vibrant red flesh; and Kissabel Berry, which has a deep crimson skin and a rich red interior.

Credit: Supplied

Are Kissabel apples genetically modified?

No siree. These apples have been created using traditional cross-breeding methods, and are the result of more than two decades of research and development in the Loire Valley in France. The Kissabel brand comes from a range of different crosses – including wild, red-fleshed crabapples and traditional eating apples like golden delicious, Granny Smith and red delicious – with the goal of generating a uniquely flavoured apple with red flesh.

Credit: Supplied

How to use Kissabel apples

While eating them on their own is always a great idea, the bold, tangy flavour of Kissabels makes them ideal for using in recipes like a tarte tatin, an apple pie or a crumble. They’d also make for a striking addition to a cheeseboard.

The Kissabel apple is now ready to paint the town red – but you’ll have to be quick. The harvest season for Kissabel apples is very short; it’s limited to between late March and early-to-mid May, with only a handful of growers cultivating the apple species in Australia.

Currently, there are 5,850 Kissabel trees across 1.6 hectares in Australia, grown in orchards such as the Adelaide Hills in South Australia and the Yarra Valley in Victoria. But 27,000 more Kissabel trees will be planted this winter across multiple locations in central Victoria and Batlow, NSW, which means an even bigger harvest next year.