Minnesota Apples Are All The Rave
The apple breeding program began at the University of Minnesota in 1888. And they have developed nearly 30 varieties of apples. Some are no longer produced. But there is a new one this year called the Rave. It has all the juiciness of a Honeycrisp, but includes the tart flavor of a Granny Smith. The other beauty of this apple is that it ripens in August, so it's one of the first of the season. The Rave will be widely available in fall 2018, and will be marketed as the First Kiss apple in Minnesota.
Here are seven of some of the other creations from the U of M. Check out more varieties here.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 1Beacon
Introduced in 1936, it is a bright red apple with soft, juicy flesh and a slightly tart flavor. The tree is hardy, vigorous, and susceptible to fire blight.
Ripens mid- to late August.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 2Centennial Crabapple
Large, red over orange crabapple that is excellent for fresh eating and sauce, but does not store well. The tree is very hardy. It was introduced in 1957.
Ripens mid- to late August.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 3State Fair
This apple is striped red, juicy, moderately tart and it's fruit is good for eating and cooking. The fruit will store for 2-4 to weeks. The tree is susceptible to fire blight and somewhat prone to biennial bearing. This one was introduced in 1977.
Ripens mid- to late August.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 4Sweet Tango (R)
It's juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices, and deep red coloration over a yellow breaking background. This apple's flavor, balanced by vibrant acidity, inherited the crisp texture of 'Honeycrisp' and the juiciness of 'Zestar' (R)
Ripens in early September.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 5Zestar (R)
This one is a large, crunchy, juicy red fruit with a sweet-tart flavor. Excellent for both fresh eating and cooking. The fruit will store for 6-8 weeks. The tree is vigorous, upright and very susceptible to apple scab. Introduced in 1999.
Ripens late August to early September.
- University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen
University of Minnesota, David L. Hansen 6Honey Crisp
It has large, dappled red fruit with a well-balanced flavor, outstanding crispness and juiciness. Best for fresh eating and salads as the flesh is slow to brown.The tree has low to medium vigor and excellent scab resistance. Fruit will easily store seven or more months, a benefit for small commercial growers.
It ripens in late September.
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