The days are cool and the air is crisp – must be apple season! Did you know that the University of Minnesota is a world leader in breeding apples that thrive in cold regions? The U of M began breeding apples in 1878 and has released 28 apple varieties.
We’ve gathered some of the newest U of M apple introductions in order of harvest/availability. There’s no need to have just one favorite when you can delight your taste buds with amazing varieties throughout apple season.
Introduced in 2017, “First Kiss®” identifies Minnesota-grown apples. A cross between a Honeycrisp and an Arkansas apple, these are tantalizingly juicy and crisp with a lightly tart taste and deep color. Available in mid to late August, Rave and First Kiss can be stored up to five months after harvest.
Juicy, light, crisp, with a sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar, Zestar! is available from late August to early September. It was introduced in 1999.
With the crisp texture of a Honeycrisp and the juiciness of a Zestar!, what’s not to love about a SweeTango? These deep red beauties have a yellow background. Introduced in 2009, SweeTango is harvested in early September.
These amazing apples helped to reinvigorate the apple industry in 1991 because people were weary of stale-tasting mushy apples. The balance of sweet and tart coupled with a crisp juicy texture make Honeycrisp apples a favorite. The apples were bred to literally explode in the mouth via larger cells that deliver impressive juice and crunch. Harvested in Minnesota from mid-September to early October, Honeycrisp apples store for at least seven months.
Harvested approximately two weeks after Honeycrisp, this large, bronze-red blush beauty’s firm snowy white flesh is very slow to oxidize (turn brown) after cutting. Introduced in 2006, the University of Minnesota describes this apple as “savory, sweet tasting … with a slight tart balance and rich overtones.”
People tend to be strongly in the love or hate camp with this apple, first available in 2014. It’s very small, maroon-red over yellow, firm, juicy, and intensely sweet, so it makes great cider. It is available late in apple season. This apple is a “grandparent” to the Honeycrisp; it has been propagated by the U since the 1920s.
You can learn about all of the University of Minnesota’s apple varieties here.
Lottery dollars contribute to many U of M projects through the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund. Recently funded projects include $2.4 million to the Morris campus to study the use of large-flow-batteries to increase usage of renewable energy, $340,000 to U of M Duluth for continued support of forest health research, and over $3 million to the Minneapolis campus to complete geologic maps for improved management of ground and surface water. Click here to learn more about all the U projects funded through Minnesota's Legacy Fund in 2022.