I have heard alot about the Zestar! apple, mainly for it being one of the parents of the SweeTango. I finally got to try my first slice of Zestar! this morning. To give you some background information, the Zestar! was developed at the University of Minnesota, just like it’s offspring. It was created by combining “State Fair” and “MN 1691″. It was released in 1998.

The Zestar! apple helps fill a gap. Most early season apples are mealy, which is why you should be making applesauce in August and waiting until later in September to start your pies. The Zestar! is a crunchy apple that is available early in the season. It also has a long shelf life, unlike it’s early season counterparts. You can store them in the fridge for up to a couple months. One negative of the Zestar! is that it tends to bruise rather easily, so one must be careful when harvesting and handling. A bruised apple will not have that long shelf live. I think this easy bruising is why I am not seeing this apple regularly sitting next to the Galas and Fujis at the local mega mart.

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 8
Tartness : 4
Apple Flavor: 7
Sweetness: 7
Juiciness: 7

Overall Feeling: I liked this apple. A great out of hand eating apple. It has a nice crisp to it. Not as crisp as a Honeycrisp or SweeTango but it more than holds its own against the other apples harvested at the same time. It’s more on the sweet side with some tartness. The claim about this apple is that is has a brown sugar like taste, and indeed it does. I recommend eating it cold because I think that brings out that taste even more. I think this is a great apple that you can get earlier and if you handle it right you can be enjoying for weeks to come.

When you go to the grocery store and are walking down the aisle that contains the applesauce, you will see an array of flavors. Today the shelves are stocked with cinnamon, wild berry, strawberry, peach, chunky, just to name a few. But how many people actually make their own flavored applesauce?

Since apples are generally mild in flavor, it is easy to add other fruits to it, to add another dimension of flavor. And since it was peach season, I decided to make some peach applesauce. The apples I use were apples that were available during peach season. Of course you could use whatever combination you like. Here is what I used.

1 extra large Glowing Star Peach
2 Jersey Mac apples
2 Ginger Gold apples
3 Paula Red apples

Peach selection: Use whatever peach variety you like. I used Glowing Star. They are large so I only had to peel one peach. They are a mid-season variety, so they are available the same time as early apples. If you buy your peaches at the store you aren’t going to know the exact variety (read about shopping for peaches). I wouldn’t recommend white flesh peaches as they are less acidic and you want some acidity.

Apple selection: Jersey Mac, Ginger Gold, and Paula Red are all early season apples. They each have a nice sweet/tart balance and have a soft texture that allows them to break down well for applesauce. These same apples I wouldn’t recommend for pies. You can use any of these apples in any combination or mix is some other varieties. It’s a matter of learning what you like.

Instructions
1. First off, I think applesauce making is not an exact science. Instead of following a recipe, let your tongue do the testing. If it needs more sugar add it, if it needs some spice, add that to. You can also adjust the apples you use based on whether you want it more tart or more sweet.

2. If you have a food mill, I recommend making your life easier as well as adding flavor and vitamins to your sauce and leave the skins on. You can remove them with the food mill when done. So now all you have to do is slice them up to remove the pits in both the apples and the peaches.

3. For cooking them you can either use a pot on the stovetop or a slow cooker. You can get good results either way, but with a slow cooker your chance of burning the bottom of one of your pans are gone. I add a little bit of liquid to get started. I use 1/4 cup of apple juice. The apples will release plenty of liquid on their own.

4. Cook your sauce until it is the consistency you desire. I let mine cook all afternoon. Then run it through a food mill or you can use a immersion blender if you already removed the skins. If your sauce comes out too runny (mine did) then place it back in the slow cooker, turn up the heat to full blast, and wait until it’s the right consistency. Add sugar to taste (white or brown it’s your choice). Serve warm or refrigerate.

All the talk this year regarding apples have been around the new SweeTango variety. It is a cross between a Zestar! and the popular Honeycrisp. It was developed at the University of Minnesota. It is grown by a cooperative of growers, called the Next Big Thing. This includes 45 members at this time, one of them being Stemilt Growers. The SweeTango apples I got to try were grown by Stemilt.

It was first released commercially last year, but only in small quantities. This year there will be more available, but you still have to act fast. As the trees grow and mature, SweeTango will become easier to find. Click here for a list of places that I have confirmed will have SweeTango. This apple is harvested in late August and early September, making it one of the first quality apples of the season.

The first thing you might notice about this apple is that is looks alot like a Honeycrisp. It is the same red color with a yellow breaking background. You will also notice the size of the apple. Young trees tend to produce large apples, as time goes on the tree will produce more, but smaller apples.

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 10
Tartness : 5
Apple Flavor: 7
Sweetness: 5
Juiciness: 9

Overall Feeling: Before I took my first bite, I took some time to smell the apple. This apple is said to have hints of fall spices in it. When I smelled the bottom of the apple, it smelled like some kind of spice, almost like cinnamon or ginger. So then I sliced up the apple and watched the juice run down my knife. And finally the first taste, wow that’s one crisp apple. It for sure has the crispiness that the Honeycrisp is known for. Taste wise it has a nice balance of sweet and tart notes with a solid apple flavor. Now as for those fall spices, you could taste them as you shallow the apple.

Looking for SweeTango? Check out my page on where to find them.
Click here for everything apple related on my site.

One of the most wonderful times of year in Michigan is apple season. It’s a tradition (or should be) for every Michigan resident to visit an apple orchard to pick their own apples right off the tree, buy some freshly made donuts, that you can wash down with delicious apple cider. Since it’s been a warm summer, the apple u-pick season is beginning early this year. Some farms already have apples for you to pick. A lot of places will be opening up within the next 2 weeks.

Here is a list of what is going on at u-pick apple orchards across the metro Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Counties include Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne.

Macomb County
1. Blake Farms in Armada, MI are currently offering these apples for u-pick: Early MacIntosh, Paula Reds, Ginger Golds, and Early Jonathon. For more information visit their website or call them at 586-784-5343

2. Hys Cider Mill in Romeo, MI will have u-pick apples available starting in September. They are open weekends 11am-6pm until November. For more information call (810) 798-3611

3. Miller’s Big Red Apple Orchard in Romeo, MI (Washington Township) will have u-pick this year. For more information visit their website or call (586)752-7888

4. Stony Creek Orchard in Romeo, MI (Bruce Township) will have u-pick this year. For more information visit their website or call 586-752-2453

5. Westview Orchards in Washington Township, MI currently has Ginger Gold apples available for u-pick. For more information visit their website or call 866-WVO-4-FUN

Monroe County
1. Bennett’s Orchard in Ottawa Lake, MI will have u-pick apples available this season. They have different varieties ripening each week. For more information visit their website or call 734-854-2523

2. Erie Orchards in Erie, MI will have these varieties available this season: Paulareds, McIntosh, olden and Red Delicious, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, Ida Reds, Winesap and Jonathans.) For more information http://www.erieorchards.com or call 734-848-4518

Oakland County
Long Family Orchard & Cider Mill in Commerce Township, MI will have u-pick apples around the middle of September. For more information visit their website or call 248-360-3774

Washtenaw County
1. Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan, MI will have the following apples for u-pick this season:
Sept 9th: Gala, McIntosh, Prime Gold
Sept 17th : Cortland, Empire, Jonathan
Sept 24th: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious
Oct 1st: Rome Beauty, Ida Red
Oct 15th: Granny Smith
They have a ½ bushel minimum. For more information visit their website or call 734-482-2342

2. Lutz Orchard in Saline, MI (Directions: 4 miles SW of Saline. Take Monroe St. S from US-12 in Saline. Monroe becomes Macon Road at city limits, 11030 Macon Road, corner of Braun Rd) will have u-pick apples in October. For more information, including their hours call them at 734-429-5145

3. Wiard’s Orchards in Ypsilanti, MI will have these apples available for u-pick this year: McIntosh, Jonathan, Empire, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Ida-Reds, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Cameo and Ruby Jon. For more information visit their website or call them at 734-390-9211

Wayne County
Apple Charlie’s in New Boston, MI will have these apples available for u-pick this year (dates are approximate start dates)
August 28th-29th: Galas, McIntosh, Joanthan
Sept 11th: Empire, Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious
Oct 1st: Winesap, Monroe, Jonagold, Fuji
For more information visit their website or call (734)753-9380

The early apple season is full of apples that are pretty tart. The exception to that may be the Paula Red. Paula Red apples come out in August and are among some of the first apples you find at the farmers market. It’s a mainly red apple with some areas of green/yellow. The skin is shiny. It’s a nice apple to take a picture of.

Paula Reds were first discovered in Kent County, Michigan in Sparta Township. A grower by the name of Lewis Arends discovered them in an area of his orchard that contained McIntosh apples. It’s exact parents are not known but it would make sense for one of them to be a McIntosh (Cortlands have been rumored to be the othe parents). Some people mistake the Paula Red for a McIntosh. They are similar in appearance and flavor. Lewis named the apple after his wife, Pauline. Paula Reds first hit the market in 1968.

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 3
Tartness : 4
Apple Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 6
Juiciness: 6

Overall Feeling: Paula Reds have a nice balance of sweet and tart. They are similar to eating a McIntosh or Golden Delicious. They do not hold their shape when cooked, so you are best off eating them out of hand or using them for applesauce. As the apple ages it becomes soft and mealy, so you want to use them up not long after you buy them.

As we near the end of August, my thoughts are turning towards fall. I love the fall season. The colors, the cooler weather, and especially the apples! So I thought today would be a good day to review an apple drink. Reed’s Spiced Apple Brew was one drink I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. Reed’s is known for their spicy ginger ale, so they know what they are talking about when it comes to using spices in drinks. I bought the brew in a 4 pack of 12 oz glass bottles. The drink is gluten free, caffeine free, and contains no preservatives, or alcohol. Each bottle has this message around the neck: “Before modern soft drink technology existed, non-alcoholic beverages were brewed at home directly from herbs, roots, spices, and fruits. These hand-crafted brews were then aged like wine and prized not only for their taste but for their tonic, health giving properties. Reed’s Brews are a delicious revival of this lost home-brewing art and are made the original way using the finest fresh herbs, roots, spices, and fruits. Each batch is carefully brewed and aged with great pride by our expert brewmasters.”

The ingredient list reads like this: Freshly brewed from sparking filtered water, apple juice from concentrate, fructose, fresh ginger root, lemon juice from concentrate, cinnamon and other spices.

This certainly is one spicy brew. You immediately smell the cinnamon when you open the bottle. Drinking this drink brings my memories to fall. It has a good apple flavor with a small or champagne-like carbonation. I can’t think of another drink like it on the market.

Where to Buy
I bought my 4-pack at Busch’s in Saline, MI. So far it’s the only place I have seen it at.

Looking for more Reed’s products?
has Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew available to buy from their online store.

The hot item of this upcoming fall season has got to be the SweeTango apple. It is a new apple developed at the University of Minnesota. SweeTango is a cross between a Honeycrisp (also developed at Minnesota) and a Zestar. Last year this apple was released in limited quantities, but this year they should be more widely available. The apple is said to juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices. I never found them in my area last year (Ann Arbor, MI), but I did find an apple cider that was made from SweeTango apples. This season I was able to get them from Stemilt Fruit. Click here to read what I thought of the apple.

Below you will find a list of places that I have discovered will have SweeTango apples this season. The list will grow as the season progresses. Don’t see something in your area? Leave a comment below and I will try my best to find out where you can get SweeTango. The apples should start appear in early September.

Michigan
1. Rennhack Orchards Market (3731 W Polk Rd, Hart, MI, 49420 – Phone: 231-873-7523)
2. Bakker’s Acres (2677 Setterbo Road Suttons Bay, MI 49682 – Phone: 231-271-3673 will have them at the following farmer’s markets: Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Leland, Northport, and Suttons Bay.
3. Interwater Farms (10877 US Highway 31 S Williamsburg, MI 49690-9419) are listed as a grower. Call their phone number (231) 264-8291 for availability.
4. Applewood Orchards (2998 Rodesiler Hwy. Deerfield, MI 49238) are listed as a grower. Call their phone number (517) 447-3002
for availability.

California
1. Safeway stores in the Bay Area will have SweeTango available starting Labor Day weekend.
2. Mollie Stone’s stores in the Bay Area will have SweeTango available starting Labor Day weekend.

Illinois
They should be available at retail stores in the Chicago area, I don’t know the exact locations at this time.

Minnesota
1. The AppleHouse which is a part of the University of Minnesota Arboretum (located 1.5 miles west of the Arboretum entrance in Chanhassen on State Highway 5 and Rolling Acres Road).
2. Minnetonka Orchard, located at 6530 County Road 26, Minnetrista , MN 55364. Click here for their website.
3. Pepin Heights Retail Store in Lake City, Minnesota has SweeTango apples currently in stock. Click here for their website.
4. Byerly’s, Lunds, Kowalski’s and Festival Foods in the Twin Cities will have the apples starting Saturday, September 4th.
5. SuperTarget in Edina, Roseville, Richfileld, and Plymouth will have them as well.
6. Pine Tree Apple Orchard (450 Apple Orchard Road, White Bear Lake, MN) has SweeTango apples available. For more information, call 651-429-7202.
7. Kowalski’s Market in White Bear Lake, Minnesota has them.

New York
1. Zingler Farms will have SweeTango at East Aurora Farmers Market
2. Whittier Fruit Farm will have SweeTango at their farm market (219 Whitter Road, Rochester, NY) as well as any farmer’s market they sell at. Click here for their website.
3. Wegman stores in New York carried them last year, so there is a chance they will have them again this year. Check in the first two weeks of September.

Pennsylvania
I can confirm that Wegmans stores in New York carried them last year, so if you are near a Wegmans in Pennsylvania it’s possible they may have them. Look for them in the first couple weeks of September.

Wisconsin
1. Wood Orchard Market (Door County, 8112 State Highway 42, Egg Harbor, WI – Phone: 920-868-2334)
2. Brennan’s stores are expected to carry them (I will post when they announce they have them).

Washington
1. The Bountiful Fruit Store in Wenatchee, WA will have SweeTango apples. Click here for their website.
2. Metropolitan Market locations in Seattle should have them soon.

Western United States
Stemilt fruit will market SweeTango apples in select stores west of the Rocky Mountains.

Online
You can purchase SweeTango online from the Bountiful Fruit website.

Click here for my review of the SweeTango apple.

When you are up against the dog days of summer, there is a sign that relief is coming – the first appearance of apples at the farmer’s market. I picked up some transparent apples at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, grown by Nemeth Orchards. These apples may look like a golden delicious with their yellow/green colored skin, but do not be fooled. These apples are one of the first to ripen, as soon as early July. They are an older variety that you do not find at the mega mart.

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 2
Tartness : 9
Apple Flavor: 5
Sweetness: 2
Juiciness: 8

Overall Feeling: Before I bought these apples I was told they were good for making applesauce, so that was my plan all along, But before I cooked my sauce, I tried one and knew there was no way I wanted to take another bite. These are extremely tart apples. They are also juicy apples that aren’t too crisp, which is what makes them perfect for applesauce. So I made up a batch, adding some brown sugar and cinnamon. It needed a good amount of sugar to balance out the tartness (I do not think I achieved balance). If this apple sounds appealing to you, then check your local farmer’s market to see if you find these apples. But remember they will be gone before the popular varieties are on the scene.

Instructions on How to Make the Applesauce:
This is pretty basic. All I do is just peel the apples, slice them up and place them into a pot. I add a little bit of water so they don’t stick before the apples can unleash their own water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the apples are mush. Then add brown sugar and ground cinnamon to taste. You can use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the sauce if you want it to be smoother.

Other early varieties include the Red Astrachan. Click here to read more about it.

One of the most wonderful things about a farmer’s market is finding varieties of produce that you would never find in the super market. At the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, I discovered the Red Astrachan variety of apples. This mostly green apple with red streaks, originated in Russia. There were introduced to England in 1816 and then came to the United States in 1835. This is considered an heirloom variety. They are an early apple being harvested in late July to early August.

One of the reasons why this apple will not be found in a store is that it has a short self life and supermarkets won’t the exact opposite. The ones I bought are already getting soft. But I was told that these apples improve with flavor over time (that is until they rot). The trees that produce this apple are productive every other year (which also doesn’t appeal to the supermarket).

My Experience with this Apple (Rating Scale 1-10)
Crispiness: 3
Tartness : 8
Apple Flavor: 5
Sweetness: 2-5 (it seems sweeter over time)
Juiciness: 5

Overall Feeling: The first apple I tried from the bunch was overwhelming tart. It wasn’t so tart that I could not eat it, but probably one of the most tart apples that can still be eaten out of hand. But after 5 days the apple got a bit softer and the tartness wasn’t as overwhelming. The apple flavor and sweetness seemed to improve. The drawback is that the apples are borderline becoming too soft, so I will have to finish these up quickly. Again this is way the apple is not found in stores. My 2 year old daughter enjoyed this apple. She enjoys tart fruit. She will eat really tart blackberries straight up with no sugar.

Last week at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, I got to sample some apple cider from the friendly people from Nemeth Orchards. The sample sold me on buying a half gallon. Their cider is sweet with enough tartness to it, to not make it overbearing. Whenever I am drinking cider I want to get the feeling I am sticking a straw into an apple and drinking the juice within. I get that feeling with this cider. It contains no preservatives and has not been pasteurized. It is definitely one of the best fresh ciders I have had in Michigan.

According to an article on Ann Arbor.com (click here to read the entire article), Nemeth Orchards has been in business since 1931. Their farm is located on Bolla Road in Ysplanti, MI. Besides apples, they also grow peaches, pears, cherries, and some vegetables. Come find them Wednesdays & Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market.

They have a blog, where you can get the latest news on what’s going on at the farm:
http://www.nemethorchards.blogspot.com/