Martha Crab

Martha originated in Excelsior, MN, about 1889.  Jason Davis of Cayford Orchards in Skowhegan introduced us to an old Martha tree during a visit a few years ago. The crab had been part of his family’s orchard for generations.  We wish we knew where there were lots more Martha trees.

Look at the fruit from the stem end; it is round and often has a splash of russet around the stem cavity. It has a yellow gold undercolor that becomes streaked and splashed with bright carmine in the late summer sun. It nearly glows in the trees.

Martha has extremely crisp, yellowish flesh and a sweet and sour flavor of honey mixed with vanilla and grapefruit that really packs a punch.  You may even discover some nuttiness in the background. The skin has the dry, bitterness of green tea. This large-fruited crab apple is delicious for fresh eating as well as for jellies and jams and other cooking enterprises. The tree is medium-sized, annually bearing, extremely long-lived and hardy.