honeycrisp

Although the Minnesota apple harvest begins in August, for a lot of folks apple season goes hand in hand with the changing and falling of leaves. Apples are a fantastic late summer treat, but there’s nothing like a crisp, freshly-harvested apple (or a hot apple crisp!) on a brisk autumn day.

Walk into a typical supermarket and you’ll see several shades of these sweet treats proudly taking up some serious real estate in the produce aisle. Yet this is a mere smattering of the 7,500 varieties grown around the world. According to Rebecca Wood, author of The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, “Because every apple seed contains unique genetic material, you can plant ten seeds from a single apple and get ten different kinds of apple trees. However most of our commercial varieties lack genetic diversity.”

Photo Credit: Univerity of MinnesotaWith the last of the mild fall weather eeking its way out, my friend and I decided to make the annual pilgrimage to the apple orchard and winery last weekend. Aamodt’s Apple Farm and the St. Croix Vineyards – conveniently located together just west of Stillwater – make the short journey too easy to pass up. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon on this idyllic little bit of land, you know how nice it is to escape the city, watch the kids jump around on hay bales, taste some lovely wines, and go home dreaming of what to do with your big bag of apples.

Today’s post starts off with a riddle:

What’s “juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices,” "a satisfying crunch,” and a name that sounds like a segment of  “Dancing with the Stars?”

If you guessed SweeTango, the newest apple cultivar created by the University of Minnesota, you are correct!
SweeTango: Is it worth the trouble?

Since its Labor Day weekend debut, SweeTango has caused a buzz among apple eaters and growers. But it’s not just the taste that has people talking.

This apple comes with controversy because of the way the U of M has licensed it.

In ayurvedic medicine, good health begins by living in harmony with nature. That means eating seasonally appropriate foods (which, by the way, supports local farms) is an important building block to a healthy lifestyle. I notice my cravings change along with the seasons. One month ago, I couldn’t eat enough tomatoes; my garden couldn’t keep up with my appetite for those fragrant, juicy, sweet yet tangy spheres of bliss. But last night, those same tomatoes just didn’t taste as blissful. I can’t get excited over lemonade, lately, either, preferring hot tea to hydrate me. What’s more, I am considering investing in a slow cooker as the thought of stew has taken over the culinary chamber of my cranium.