SweeTango | Minnesota Hardy Minnesota Hardy Support Research SweeTango® SweeTango® is the exclusive brand for a premium quality apple fruit. SweeTango® Minneiska Apples are produced from a new Minneiska variety developed by the University of Minnesota. This variety has great parentage as a cross between two stars of the University of Minnesota apple breeding program: the Honeycrisp Apple and the Zestar!® Apple (Minnewashta variety). SweeTango® fruit offers another superior apple-eating experience—a satisfying crunch and a juicy blast of sweet-tart flavor. To maintain high quality fruit standards that can be affected by climate, growing sites and production practices, SweeTango® Minneiska Apples were introduced as a "managed variety". Commercial growers in Minnesota must be licensed to grow Minneiska trees. Growers outside of Minnesota must be licensed members of the growers cooperative, Next Big Thing (NBT). If you are interested in growing this exclusive brand, please review additional information on our SweeTango® Licensing page and at SweeTango® Website .

If you are simply looking for a crunchy, juicy, sweet-tart apple to truly enjoy, look for the SweeTango® brand at quality grocers and orchards. Description Complex Flavor SweeTango® Minneiska Apples are juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices. This apple's flavor, balanced by vibrant acidity, dances to a long and satisfying finish on the palate. It also inherited the crisp texture of 'Honeycrisp' and juiciness of 'Zestar!®.' Appealing Appearance This blushed apple, with deep red coloration over a yellow breaking background, is as appealing to the eye as its flavor is to the palate. Early Ripening Treat Because this variety typically ripens in early September, growers, retailers, and consumers can enjoy SweeTango® Minneiska Apples while few premium apples are available. Managed Availability Minneiska is a "managed variety," a relatively new concept for U.S. growers that is more common abroad. An important advantage of "managed varieties" is they allow growers to maintain high quality standards related to optimum growing sites, climate, and production practices. This helps assure the growth of a consistently premium quality SweeTango® Minneiska Apple.

In 2009, a limited supply of SweeTango® Minneiska Apples became available to consumers in Minnesota, the Northwest, and New England. Additionally, SweeTango® Minneiska Apples are now available to consumers nationwide. Trees likely will not be available to the general public until the patent expires in 2026. For more information, please visit the SweeTango® website . SweeTango® (Minneiska variety) is a registered trademark of the University of Minnesota. Melissa's World Variety Produce FOR INFORMATION ON WHEN YOUR ORDER WILL BE SHIPPED, CLICK HERE! Product of USA. The SweeTango® is new hybrid variety that is the tasty result of more than a decade of cross-breeding at the University of Minnesota with another well-known variety, the Honeycrisp. The fruit has a very deep red blush over a bright yellow background; its flavor is juicy sweet with hints of cinnamon and the clean crunch associated with its parent, the Honeycrisp. The name refers to the close dance of unique flavors this fruit offers. Note: SweeTango® is used with permission from Stemilt.

Choose apples that are firm and hollow sounding when tossed a few inches in the air and caught in palm of hand. Avoid dense sounding or dull looking fruit, both a sign of age. Kept refrigerated, apples will store for two-three weeks. West - SweeTango Wenatchee, Wash. Founded: 1964 Stemilt Growers is a family-owned and operated apple, pear, cherry, and summer fruit grower, packer and shipper that is proud to supply the western United States with SweeTango apples each fall. Our founding family, the Mathisons, have been growing fruit in Wenatchee, Wash., since the first generation homesteaded 160 acres on Stemilt Hill in the early 1900s. Six generations later, the Mathison family and Stemilt delivers premium apples and other fruits to destinations near and far, and many family members are involved in growing the special SweeTango variety. Our family of SweeTango growers includes: Bob Mathison Orchard, Inc., Chief Bob, LLC, Highway 28 Orchard, LLC, KMO, Inc., S.M. West Ltd., and Thomas K. Mathison Orchards, LLC.

For more information, click here. Stormy Mountain Ranch Chelan, Wash. Founded: 1962 The Fuller family has been farming near the pristine waters of Lake Chelan in Washington State since 1962, and today, second generation farmer Ray Fuller leads the family’s orchard business. Ray is a Stemilt grower and a strong believer in organics. Today, he farms a variety of organic fruits, including SweeTango apples. His leadership in organic farming earned him the Organic Trade Association’s 2008 Organic Farmer of the Year award, but Ray’s greatest joy is delivering healthy, flavorful fruits like SweeTango® for families everywhere to enjoy. Allan Bros.- Sagemoor Pasco, Wash. Founded: 1968 The farm was started by partners who wanted to grow tree fruit and wine grapes in Eastern Washington. Among the partners was Albert Ravenholt, who lead the effort to grow apples and cherries. Albert grew up in Wisconsin and watched closely the development of Honeycrisp in the 1990s.

In the early 2000s, when SweeTango was being developed, the General Manager of Sagemoor, Kent Waliser planted SweeTango (an offspring of Honeycrisp) much to the delight of Albert. In 2014, the original partners of Sagemoor sold the farm to Allan Bros., Inc. of Naches, Wash. Allan Bros., a fourth-generation company, has a long and rich history in the Yakima Valley and has been growing, packing and shipping tree fruit products since the 1920s. With orchards located throughout eastern Washington, Allan Bros. strives to produce premium quality products sought after by consumers while providing the highest levels of service to its retail customers. SweeTango’s saga | Good Fruit Grower New apples don’t come with owner’s manuals. Richard Lehnert // May 29, 2014 // Apples // Varieties Lenticel breakdown afflicted SweeTango grown in Michigan last year. (Courtesy of Next Big Thing) Production of SweeTango apples is gradually approaching its target of “just north of a half-­million bushels,” but the path hasn’t been easy.

“Too bad new apples don’t come with owner’s manuals,” said Tim Byrne, the president of Next Big Thing, the ­Minnesota-based cooperative in which 45 entities—involving 64 growers—share production of this highly touted offspring of Honeycrisp and Zestar! “It’s like ­building a plane as you fly it.” After freezes in 2012 reduced production in what was to be the first major production year, production was good in 2013, Byrne said. But there was some disappointment in Michigan, a major ­growing area. Mike Wittenbach, a grower from Belding, Michigan, said there were problems with lenticel breakdown. The lenticels on SweeTango are prominent. Late fall rain and summer heat led to some “size and quality issues,” as Byrne put it. Wittenbach added that some overcropping led to smaller fruit. Next Big Thing’s protocol was not to market small fruit in order to protect SweeTango’s integrity. Variety weaknesses In addition to lenticel breakdown, the variety is susceptible to russeting, Byrne said.

In Michigan, where last spring was cool and wet after bloom, russeting was an issue, he said. Russeting was once common on apples in the days before modern spray protocols. However, the dominance of Red Delicious, a variety that does not russet, further contributed to loss of acceptance of russeted apples. “It is not easy to sell today, as most consumers still buy with their eyes,” Byrne said. Russeted apples are sometimes sold as heirloom or cider varieties now. “SweeTango is a thin-skinned apple, which is a great virtue when you’re eating it,” Byrne said. But that’s the basic reason for its russeting. Russeting is caused by rapid expansion in an apple’s early growth stage, which leads to breaks in the skin that heal, leaving scars. SweeTango’s tenderness also affects how the apples need to be harvested, Byrne said. Stems are clipped, apples are placed into bins lined with bubble wrap, and the bins are not fully filled. In the packing house, they’re taken from cold storage and allowed to warm to 40 to 45 degrees to reduce packing line damage.

The combination of smaller size, brown spots from lenticel breakdown, and russeting reduced the packout in Michigan, considerably for some growers. “It’s still a great piece of fruit, and we made more than the average amount of money,” ­Wittenbach said. “But every grower hopes to make more money.” In 2012, a grower in New York tried a fungicide reduction program in which he quit spraying captan early in an attempt to better control russeting, Byrne said. He learned the hard way that SweeTango is quite susceptible to apple scab. In 2013, he modified his spray protocols and was able to control russet and eliminate the scab issue. SweeTango was bred at the University of Minnesota, where breeders in the mid-1990s saw the mounting success of Honeycrisp and deliberately crossed it with Zestar!, another rising star from its stable. While Honeycrisp was observed for 30 years before it was released in 1991, SweeTango, with only a decade of development, was being planted by 2007.

Dennis Courtier, president of Pepin Heights Orchards in Lake City, Minnesota, purchased rights to the new apple in December 2005, and by July 2006 had put together a cooperative of 64 growers to produce them—selling them on the idea of bringing a superior club apple to market fast. By the end of 2009, the last of 500,000 trees had been planted in the United States and another 25,000 in Nova Scotia. “We ramped up fast,” Byrne said. “We budded trees and planted like crazy. But we had less scientific information to start out with.” The trees were produced at three nurseries—Willow Drive in Ephrata, Washington; Cameron Nursery in Eltopia, Washington; and Adams County Nursery in Aspers, Pennyslvania. When varieties are released as club varieties, as ­SweeTango was, Byrne believes there is less incentive for public institutions, such as land-grant universities, to prove their worth and find their limitations. “It’s hard to justify research that all your constituents can’t share in,” Byrne said.

“Things that Extension used to do for us, they don’t have the staff or money to do,” he added. “You have to develop your own drivers’ training manual.” Private research Three years ago, Next Big Thing hired Reality Research, a company in western New York State, to do private research to address various horticultural aspects of growing SweeTango. They’re addressing issues relating to how to produce clean fruit and protocols on how to effectively thin it, Byrne said. Next Big Thing is working with Agro­Fresh to develop protocols on how to use 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)—in the form of SmartFresh when used in storage and Harvista when applied in the orchard. “We are especially interested in whether Harvista can extend the shelf life,” Byrne said. “The real test of apple quality is not the long-term storage, but those 14 days they spend on the shelf as they are being marketed after coming out of storage.

“It was part of our strategic plan to sell all the fruit in 75 days after harvest,” he said, “and we did that last fall.” SweeTango is an early apple—about two weeks earlier than Honeycrisp—with harvest starting in late August. Next Big Thing’s plan was to put an apple equal to or better than Honeycrisp into the market just ahead of Honeycrisp and sell them all by mid-November. “Our goal is to return as much money to growers as possible,” Byrne said. “We would rather have one box too few than one box too many.” Byrne said the targeted number of SweeTango trees has been planted and full production will be reached in two or three more years. That will end “phase one” of the plan. What might be in phase two? Byrne said Next Big Thing would assess whether to plant more of the variety or stick with what they have in production once they have gone to market with a full crop. But the plan is to expand the scope of Next Big Thing. NBT is also an equity stockholder in a company based in France that is developing red-fleshed apples. “Test trees are coming here this year,” Byrne said.

Red flesh In 2011, Next Big Thing joined with 12 other fruit marketers from 11 countries and five continents in a global consortium called IFORED. The goal was to bring red-fleshed apples to market within five years. IFORED was coined from the acronym of International Fruit Obtention, the French-based company formed in 2004 to breed for red flesh in apples, and the word red. IFORED was created when the fruit marketers met in Angers, France. The consortium will test, select, and commercialize red-fleshed apple varieties. Byrne said Next Big Thing grower members across the United States and eastern Canada will plant test quantities of red-fleshed apple selections this spring. In addition, Next Big Thing growers are testing other selections in their orchards. Six selections are on advanced trial at four sites. “Three have been identified as potentially commercial,” he said. “One of them may be chosen for planting within the next 18 months.” SweeTango apples are being packed in seven packing houses located in the four regions where the variety is being produced.

In Washington State, Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee is coordinating production and sales from the orchards of a half-dozen large growers. In the Midwest, packers are Pepin Heights in Minnesota and Elite Packing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Elite Packing came on line last season to serve the 18 Michigan growers. In New York, Lake Ontario Fruit in Albion and Fowler Farms in Wolcott are packing the apples, and were joined this year by a new packer in the Lake Champlain area, Chazy Orchards. In Nova Scotia, 20 members of Scotian Gold Cooperative grow the apples and Scotian Gold packs them. Last fall, SweeTango apples were sold in stores in all 50 states and in Canada, Byrne said. Central - SweeTango Lake City, Minn. Founded: 1949 Owner Dennis Courtier’s parents first planted this land to apples in 1949. An excellent site and careful management have allowed the Courtiers and the rest of the Pepin Heights family to produce high quality fruit for more than 60 years, placing them among the top apple orchards in Minnesota.

Over the years, the orchard’s reputation for producing excellent fruit has grown, and so has our business – we now ship apples all over the country. Our goal is to grow apples that are fresh, crisp and delicious. With state-of-the-art facilities, our apples are sorted, packed and stored in optimal conditions. So whether you shop our Lake City store or your local supermarket, Pepin Heights apples ensure you’ll enjoy that distinctive, just-picked flavor. Pepin Heights Orchard received a license to commercialize Minneiska (Honeycrisp® x Zestar!), which was later named SweeTango, a cultivar discovered by the University of Minnesota apple breeding program, from the University of Minnesota Patent and Technology Licensing office in December 2005. Next Big Thing, a Growers Cooperative (NBT), was formed July 31, 2006, and a license granting NBT the right to grow and market Minneiska in North America was received from Pepin Heights upon formation of the cooperative. For more information, click here. Pine Tree Apple Orchard, Inc. White Bear Lake, Minn.

Founded: 1904 The first apple trees were planted on the shores of Pine Tree Lake in 1904. More than 100 years later, that orchard, now known as Pine Tree Orchard, is owned by Art Jacobson, a city boy from St. Paul, who dreamed of growing apples and living on the land. In 1950, Art and his wife, Dickie, moved to the orchard and purchased it in 1958. Since that time, they have made growing apples the center of their lives. Today, all six of the Jacobson’s children (and even a few grandchildren) are actively involved in growing and marketing apples. As the family has grown, so has their orchard. The plot of land – a mere 25 acres – has grown to more than 300 hundred acres. SweeTango apples joins the crop of strawberries, pumpkins and other apple varieties that have grown there for so many years. For more information, click here. MICHIGAN Deerfield, Mich. Founded: 1935 Walter E. Swindeman, Sr.

planted his first apple trees in what would become Applewood Orchards in the fall of 1935. By 1958, Walter’s son, Bernie, took over the orchard, and after years of steady growth, they built one of the first controlled atmosphere rooms in the United States. As the years went on, they kept building more controlled atmosphere storage rooms and taking on outside growers so they could keep up with the demand from their customers including several major grocery chains. Applewood Orchards incorporated in 1963, and in the mid-1970’s, Bernie’s three sons got involved in running the family business. Today, the three sons run the business, which includes more than 450 acres of apples and plans for continued expansion. For more information, click here. Bakker’s Acres Suttons Bay, Mich. Founded: 1989 Al Bakker and his wife, Lynn, purchased the land that would become Bakker’s Acres in 1989. The 70 acre parcel was planted with hay, corn and oats, but Al’s experience and interests led him to plant fruit trees.

Al was (and still is) a partner with neighboring Cherry Bay Orchards, whose primary business was in apples and cherries. Located in prime cherry-growing country, Al soon discovered he was paradoxically drawn to the challenges presented by growing apple trees. Like a chef forever tinkering toward a perfect recipe, he appreciated the deft horticultural touch required to produce a desirable crop of apples. Bakker’s Acres interest in SweeTango came directly from experience with one of its parents, Honeycrisp. While selling their fruit at local farmers markets, Al and Lynn were impressed with the passion high quality apples inspired in their customers. In turn, that inspired Al and Lynn to seek out more varieties that could garner such powerful consumer responses. One bite of a SweeTango apple told them they’d found their match! For more information, click here. Brandel Farms, LLC Hart, Mich. Founded: 1940s Brandel Farms was established in the mid-1940’s when Herb and Ruth Brandel purchased a 40-acre farm in Hart, Michigan. They grew a wide variety of crops including fruit, vegetables and grains, as well as Christmas trees and raised livestock.

By the 1970’s, with the help of their son Richard and his wife Janet, they began to focus on tart cherries, apples and Christmas trees. In 1996, Brandel Farms planted Honeycrisp as their first fresh apple variety. This started the transition from processed fruits to the more rewarding and exciting fresh apple varieties, including SweeTango. Brandel Farms is a third generation family farm, currently owned by grandson Tony Eisenlohr. Centennial Farms, LLC Cherry Bay Orchards, Inc. Suttons Bay, Mich. Cherry Bay Orchards grows 400 acres of apples on its farm in Suttons Bay. Located on Lake Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, the farm also consists of 200 acres of sweet cherries and 800 acres of tart cherries. Don Gregory and his brother Bob started the own fruit operation in 1972 and has received the USDA Good Agricultural Practices certification. Evans Brothers Fruit Company High Acres Fruit Farm & Centennial Farms Hartford, Mich.

Founded: 1943 High Acres Fruit Farm and Centennial Farms, LLC had its beginnings in 1943 when Glenn and Catherine Meachum purchased 80 acres in Hartford Township in southwestern Van Buren County to raise peaches and cherries. Since then, Douglas and Bonney Meachum along with their three sons and families, Trever and Jennifer: Jason, Nicole and Spencer; and Ryan, Rachel, Grace, Zachary, and Grant; have expanded and diversified their farm. High Acres Fruit Farm now operates on 2,500 acres raising several different fruits, vegetables, and row crops including apples, plums, cherries, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, peppers, tomatoes, corn, soybeans, and wheat. The Meachum’s are progressive leaders and innovators in the agricultural industry. They own and operate Paw Paw River Produce – a cold storage and warehousing facility. In 2005, the farm launched the Spencer tomato brand label. This label has now become recognized throughout the Midwest and East Coast as a premium product. In 2006, they were awarded the Michigan Farm Bureau Farm Stewardship Award.

In 2007, The Michigan Vegetable Council presented the farming operation with the Master Farmer Award. High Acres Fruit Farm is truly an outstanding family farming operation. They are proud to be an American farm family that works hard to put wholesome food on the tables of our nation and world. For more information, click here. Interwater Farms Inc. Williamsburg, Mich. Founded: 1921 The land of Interwater Farms did not begin as an orchard, nor was it always known as Interwater Farms. Vern White began his Williamsburg, Michigan farm in 1921 by raising horses and cattle. It wasn’t until his son, Jack, and Jack’s wife, Barbara, took over that the farm’s primary focus became growing apples and cherries. The farm came to be known as Interwater Farms during an expansion in the early 1980’s when the family purchased a neighboring farm. During inspection of an old barn, they found a weathered sign that read “Interwater Farms.” Since surrounding farms all seemed to be named after the area’s dominant cherry business, they appreciated the random creativity and adopted it as their own.

Today, 400 acres of apples, cherries and peaches are operated by Jack and Barbara, as well as their four sons; David, Doug, Bill, and John. Like most fruit growers, the family has always sold some of their crop to passers-by in a small fruit stand on the road leading to the farm. It was looked upon as, “something for the grandkids to do”. But the marketing operation grew as David’s daughter came in one day to announce, “Dad, there are too many of us out there!” Now, the White family takes apples, cherries, and peaches to farm markets all around Grand Traverse Bay. Interwater Farms was an early adopter of the HoneyCrisp apple. Growing SweeTango apples allows the family to continue their commitment to providing high culinary-quality fruit to consumers while operating a sustainable business that can be passed on to future generations. Lentz Farms, Inc. Rennhack Orchards, LLC Hart, Mich. Third-generation family farmer Dave Rennhack grows apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, & numerous vegetables on his Oceana County farm.

You can find his fresh produce at Rennhack Orchards Market from June through December, along with an extensive assortment of local and Michigan-made foods, gifts, & shippable gift baskets. For more information, click here. Ronald Rasch Farms, LLC Stan Peterson Fruit Tree Sales & Farms Ludington, Mich. Founded: 1877 Stan Peterson Orchard is a fourth generation orchard that was started in 1877. Stan Peterson Orchard is a 20-acre orchard located just two miles from Lake Michigan. Stan grows SweeTango, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Goldens and Courtlands. Stan loves introducing the unique qualities of SweeTango to his customers. Stan predicted the success of the Honeycrisp long before it was commercially grown in Michigan. He believes SweeTango will far exceed the Honeycrisp and if everything goes as planned it will be the key to his retirement. Stan says if the apple doesn’t pan out, his wife has the divorce papers drawn up. For more information, click here. Summit Farms Kent City, Mich. The Hubert family has been farming in central Michigan since the late 1800’s.

The original parcel, in Kent City, was 80 acres. That quickly grew to over 200 acres and, as was customary for the time, the farm had a bit of everything. Herman Hubert grew peaches and apples, raised cattle and sold milk; he farmed. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the family really began to focus primarily on growing fruit trees. As the operation grew, it became more vertically integrated. In 1982, Ken Hubert, Herman’s great-grandson, took over the business and the family became involved in not only growing fruit, but also packing, storing and delivering the apples. Today the family farms over 700 acres, owns a large cold storage operation (where the apples rest until they’re ready to ship), is involved in the packing and processing of apples and even has a hand in the trucking business. Ken’s son, Victor, helps him with the farm today, and his grandson, Randy, is ready to begin his career as a Michigan apple grower. This, coupled with Ken’s declaration, “I still like to plant trees!” would seem to guarantee that the Hubert family will be farming in central Michigan for years to come.

Tom Rasch & Son Orchards, LLC Greenville, Mich. Tom Rasch & Sons Orchard consists of approximately 170 planted acres of apples employing a variety of training systems, such as double row free-standing and a modified axe system with multi-wire and single wire trellis systems. Located in Greenville, Mich., Tom Rasch & Sons Orchard is considered one of the top apple growers in Michigan. Beyond the farm’s current rootstocks (MARK, M9, M106, and Bud 9), a number of new plantings have been established to keep up with demand for new varieties, including SweeTango. Rasch & Sons’ land also features a variety testing orchard with 2 to 3 trees of over 80 different varieties. Van Agtmael Orchards, Inc Hart, Mich. The Van Agtmael family has been proudly farming in Hart, Michigan for one hundred years. Begun by Joe Van Agtmael as 60 acres of cattle, potatoes and asparagus, the farm today is 600 acres of cherries and apples and, the lone holdover, asparagus.

Joe’s grandson, Mike runs the farm today and transitioned the family into tree fruit as a way to take advantage of excellent growing sites and shifting markets. Mike’s education in the apple business was one of extremes, as he first planted Northern Spy, the consummate pie apple, and HoneyCrisp, the world’s most popular apple for fresh eating. Growing HoneyCrisp also taught Mike that putting extra effort into growing difficult but great tasting fruit was not only rewarding financially, but also an opportunity to see his hard work pay off in the faces of satisfied consumers. That harmonious balance of challenge and reward is what drew the family to join Next Big Thing, as well as help in the growing and marketing of SweeTango brand apples. Working together with others in his industry has always been an important part of Mike’s career. He served on the Michigan Cherry Committee for three terms, one as Chairman. Mike has also served on the Cherry Marketing Institute Board, as well as his local school and fire boards. Wittenbach Orchards Belding, Mich. Wittenbach Orchards is a fourth generation family farm that farms over 220 acres of apples.

All trees are planted at medium densities and are supported by trellis systems and tree stakes. Thirteen varieties of apples are produced including Honeycrisp and SweeTango. A hundred percent of the apples grown are produced for the fresh market. Wittenbach Orchards is a wholesale operation and the majority of the fruit is sold by a local packing house and sales agency. They also supply three independently owned farm markets. Wittenbach Orchards is excited about SweeTango because it is a quality piece of fruit and has had only positive consumer feedback. WISCONSIN Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Founded: 1955 Wood Orchard is operated by the second and third generations of their family. Wood Orchard has about 200 acres of land in Door County — 125 acres consists of apples, sweet cherries, raspberries, and strawberries. McIntosh and Cortland apples have been Wood Orchard’s main varieties for many years. Recently Honeycrisp and now SweeTango apples are the new varieties that we are growing and selling strong in their markets. Wood Orchard believes that SweeTango will be the exciting apple variety for this decade, much like Honeycrisp was for the past 10 years.

Having both Honeycrisp and SweeTango apples grown in their orchards, Wood Orchard will grow great tasting apples for their customers for years to come. Since the first year of tasting, they have people who can’t wait for “SweeTango Season.” Customers in their market want to know the condition of our apple crop throughout the growing season, and some even start asking for SweeTango apples in July. Apples | Minnesota Hardy Minnesota Hardy Support Research Apples The 'Honeycrisp' apple is the most widely known Minnesota apple, appreciated for its distinctive taste and texture. Recent Agricultural Experiment Station releases include Zestar!®, SnowSweet®, and SweeTango®. The environmentally wise desire for locally grown, fresh, and delicious food would resonate with the first plant breeders at the University of Minnesota. The drive for better plants in a challenging climate started soon after the Agricultural Experiment Station was created in 1887 with the quest for a hardy apple. Favorite trees from "back East" often suffered severe winter injury or failed to ripen before a killing autumn frost.

Crossing them with apples brought in from colder climates eventually led to the enduring favorites, 'Haralson' and 'Beacon.' The development of 'Honeycrisp' is recognized as one of the top 25 innovations of the decade by the 2006 Better World Report. This report, by the Association of University Technology Managers, recognizes significant academic research and technology transfer that has made the world a better place. Since 'Honeycrisp' trees were introduced in 1991, millions have been planted, producing excellent fruit that is enjoyed by consumers all over the U.S. What's Next in Apples How does the U of M develop new varieties? We do it the old fashioned way. Like the birds and the bees. Like the butterflies, wind, and rain. Our research scientists manually and painstakingly cross pollinate like nature does. Four apples with distinctive traits—Zestar!®, SnowSweet®, SweeTango®, and Frostbite™ apples—are the most recent introductions from the University's world-renowned apple breeding program. The Zestar!® apple has a sprightly sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar. It is an unusually crunchy, crisp and juicy early season apple.

SnowSweet® apple trees produce savory, sweet fruit, with a slight tart balance. An added benefit is the snow white flesh that is very slow to brown when cut and exposed to air. SweeTango® has quite the "family tree" as a cross between two popular apples—'Honeycrisp' (mom) and Zestar!® (dad)—yet it delivers its own unique flavor plus the satisfying "crunch" of a 'Honeycrisp.' The Frostbite™ apple tree fits a special niche. It is an extremely cold-hardy tree with small fruit tasting almost like sugarcane—tangy, very sweet, and juicy. SnowSweet® (Wildung variety), Zestar!® (Minnewashta variety), and SweeTango® (Minneiska variety) are registered trademarks of the University of Minnesota. Frostbite™ is a trademark of the University of Minnesota. Apple - SweeTango - tasting notes, identification, reviews (Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments about this variety) 19 Oct 2015 Jennie, FL, United States I'm very picky about my apples.

I love crisp apples that are sweet but I also enjoy tangy too that's why I typically eat a Granny Smith. I get nervous trying different apples because I hate waxy, mealy or soft apples. I was picking apples when this cute, bright red apple caught my eye.Th.e sign said something about biting into heaven into wasn't a lie! I took one bite and knew this was my favorite apple. I LOVE this apple! 11 Oct 2015 Laura Weiner, NY, United States Our picking orchard had a few test trees for us to pick and we found these very tasty. Juicy, crisp, and just enough complexity for a sweet apple. Raw apples for me can be harder to digest, so I will see if they hold up in baking. I generally get spys, crispins or fujis for eating raw and baking. (I slice, like for pies, and they hold their shape when baked. I'll also have to see if they hold up well in cool storage without getting mealy. Right now, they're extremely crisp and juicy. 27 Dec 2013 Jon Ross, SC, United States This is my favorite supermarket apple. It has the best combination of sweetness, tanginess, and crunch.

I look forward to them every September. 08 Dec 2013 Chris, CO, United States Absolutely godly. Believe the hype. It's my new favorite apple along with the Honeycrisp. For me, apples are all about texture, texture, texture and the Sweetango has it down. The flavor is sweet, but not as sweet as the Honeycrisp or Jazz, which is all I can say about it. One caveat: You absolutely have to grab them in the beginning of the season (I got my first batch in September), otherwise the quality of the apples goes down considerably when you hit October. After that, they turn into over-priced Galas. 22 Oct 2013 Judy, FL, United States The first SweeTango apples I bought this season were fantastic--crisp and sweet. My recent purchases have been disappointing, with almost 3/4 of the apples being soft, mealy, and bland. 14 Oct 2012 Janet Wille, TN, United States Wonderful crispy, juicy, sweet-tart apple. Bought several yesterday at Earthfare and had a large one for lunch- half with peanut butter half plain.

It held its own and was wonderfully floral with a bit of spice. well worth the price. 29 Sep 2012 Octavia, GA, United States Picked two of these up from Kroger yesterday and tried the first one this morning for breakfast. The first bite was a tangy surprise! For some reason I expected it to be a sweetie. I tried the rest of the slices with cinnamon and thin sliced cheddar and was in complete heaven. 25 Sep 2012 Todd, MN, United States Tried this apple for the first time at a local orchard and am really impressed with the sweet taste and crunch. Im lucky to be able to drive a few miles to get some more. I am not happy that I cant buy and plant a tree yet considering my tax dollar paid to make this apple possible.

20 Sep 2012 Carol Mcdaniel, NORTH CAROLINA HENDERSON, United States i really love this apple chrisp sweet tart every thing you want in an eating apple have not tried to cook it or bake it they get eatin to quickly one is just not enough 13 Sep 2012 Danielle Deleon, AZ, United States I bought one of these from my local Walmart for $1.16 a pop. A bit expensive, but I was thoroughly intrigued so I had to buy it. It's wonderfully crisp, sweet, and floral/tart with a touch of spice. I can't exactly taste the spice.. but I swear, every time I take a bite I can smell the slightest hint of cinnamon. Lovely Fall apple! 02 Feb 2012 Lewis F. Regner, FLORIDA, United States I hadn't even heard of this apple until this year, when I found it appearing only at the local Walmart stores, but then only for a VERY brief period of about two weeks. It was I believe, $2.29 per lb.

I have to say that it's certainly one of the very best apples of the sort which suit my palate, I believe I have ever tasted. It was both a quite sweet and moderately tart apple, yet which had a very nearly perfect balance of the sugar and acid. Additionally, this apple had a strong but pleasant, nearly floral sort of apple aroma, so many more common apples regrettably lack. I highly recommend this apple, whatever the cost. What's the point of eating two cheap apples you don't really enjoy so much, when you can eat one for even twice the price, which is as heavenly to eat as this one? 11 Jan 2012 Joanne, INDIANA, United States I absolutely LOVE this apple. I enjoy the honeycrisp but this is better. I've not tasted the zestar so I cannot compare. The only problem is that it is impossible to find the sweet tango. I ran across it quite by accident at one of our local stores and it was only available for about 2 months. 29 Oct 2011 David M. Taylor, WI, United States SweeTango is certainly a good apple like its parents.

But by the same token, I don't find that it's any more exciting to be worth the high expense compared to either of its parents, the sweet Honeycrisp and the more tart Zestar, both of which are true "new classics" in their own right, and I think, even better than their offspring. 20 Oct 2011 Karen Hatton, WISCONSIN, United States This is a glorious sweet, crunchy and tartish apple..hence the name tango... It has a tang. Ifyou like honeycrisp you will adore sweet tango. Expensive, however. This is an eating apple wonderful on a cheese plate with a good cheddar. 01 Oct 2011 Paula Van Derven, AZ, United States Tried them this week when they came out at my local store. I thought Honeycrisp was my favorite, but this apple is wonderful. Almost had a hint of sugar in every bite. I loved it! Fireside Orchard & Gardens | Growing quality apples for you since 1971 Fireside Orchard & Gardens Welcome Celebrating 45 Years of Growing the Finest Apples for You Welcome to Fireside Orchard and Gardens!

We are a family run orchard about 40 minutes south of the Twin Cities metro area, in Northfield, Minnesota. We grow favorite Minnesota varieties such as Zestar, Haralson, Fireside, Regent, Honeycrisp and Keepsake, as well as other popular apples like Cortland and McIntosh. We pride ourselves on producing the highest quality, tree ripened fruit to give you the best flavor and eating experience possible. Our cold storage facilities guarantee crispness and freshness. Our apples create lifelong memories! While most people choose to purchase their apples pre-picked out of our apple display cool-room, some like the “pick-your-own” (not available for 2016) approach. There is always something quite amazing about seeing a red-ripe apple hanging on a tree! Read all about our store, gardens and attractions, or learn about the different varieties we grow and or sell, on our Minnesota Apples page. Check out our Apple News to get current orchard news and see when your favorite apples are available. Don’t forget to visit us on Facebook for all the latest news, and check back here again soon!

Orchard News SweeTango Apples | Rennhack Orchards Market Wholesale SweeTango Apples SweeTango® apples are an exciting new variety, developed by crossing Honeycrisp™ (mom) and Zestar!(TM) (dad). Juicy and sweet, with hints of fall spices, SweeTango’s flavor is balanced by vibrant acidity. SweeTango® has a satisfying “crunch,” and its complex flavor combination will make your taste buds dance! When you purchase a SweeTango® apple, you are assured of its high quality. SweeTango® is a managed apple variety, which means only select, licensed growers can produce the apples. SweeTango® apples are grown by members of Next Big Thing , A Growers’ Cooperative—a 45-member cooperative of respected family growers spread across five time zones from Nova Scotia to Washington State. The cooperative arrangement helps ensure that quality standards are met, in order to assure a consistently superior eating experience for the consumer. It can be challenging for consumers to find SweeTango® apples, because this variety is so new that it is grown on young trees which are not yet at their full harvest potential.

West Michigan residents can find SweeTango® apples at Rennhack Orchards Market in Hart. Dave Rennhack is one of the licensed growers of SweeTango® apples. Dave has planted over 13,000 trees since 2007, using state-of-the-art high-density growing systems that produce more fruit earlier than older systems. The start-up cost is much higher for the new growing systems, but the quicker harvests are very satisfying, especially with a great new apple like SweeTango®! Researchers at the University of Minnesota developed the SweeTango® apple. The university receives royalty payments from SweeTango® apple sales, which help fund intensive research efforts. It can take 30 years and 10,000 attempts to find a new great-tasting apple. For more information about the development of SweeTango® apples, you can visit the SweeTango® website.

Question: Sweetango is a variety of which fruit?
Answer: Apple