Learn about another apple variety that was developed by the University of Minnesota - the Sweet Sixteen apple.
I Am Guilty of Ignoring This Apple
The Sweet Sixteen apple is a variety that I have seen many times before in the Midwest. For some reason it wasn't one that I was gravitating to. Then I realized I had not had them in quite a long time and was not finding them out in the Pacific Northwest.
The very week I am thinking that I should try one again, I see them for the first time in Oregon at the farmers' market in Portland. I decided it was time to give this variety the attention it is due. Coming from the University of Minnesota, it has a lot of famous other varieties to compete against. Let me share with you why you may want to not ignore this apple like I had been doing.
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History of the Sweet Sixteen Apple
The Sweet Sixteen apple is part of the rich history of apple varieties that were developed by the University of Minnesota. Their most famous variety is of course the Honeycrisp apple. They have also developed many other popular apples such as Zestar! and SweeTango. My two favorite apples from them are Chestnut Crab and SnowSweet.
The parents of Sweet Sixteen are the tart Northern Spy, a renowned pie apple, and the sweet Frostbite apple. I thought originally that it was a mistake that Frostbite was a parent of Sweet Sixteen because it wasn't released until 2008 and Sweet Sixteen was released in 1977. But I found out that Frostbite was an apple that the university didn't release to be grown until 2008.
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When are They Harvested?
Depending on where you are you can expect the Sweet Sixteen apple to be harvested in mid to late September. In 2026, I bought them at a farmers' market in Portland, OR on September 19th. Sweet Sixteen apples keep for up to 2 months, but they are best eaten as fresh as you can and stored in the fridge until ready to eat.
What Do They Taste Like?
Here is my review of Sweet Sixteen apples (Rating Scale 1-10)The
| Crispiness | 6 |
| Tartness | 3 |
| Apple Flavor | 7 |
| Sweetness | 8 |
| Juiciness | 7 |
Sweet Sixteen is a sweet apple that has just enough acid to it that it isn't overbearingly sweet. It is a relatively juicy apple. The texture of the apple can be firm, but they will soften up a little more quickly than I would like.
As for the flavor itself, I get some spice notes as I first bite into the apple. I have heard people describe the flavor as cherry candy and I can get that in a very subtle way. I am curious again now to try the apple in different parts of the country to see if the flavor is different. I have personally felt that the apples developed in Minnesota (Honeycrisp, SweeTango, etc) taste better when they are grown in the Midwest than in the Pacific Northwest where most of our grocery store apples come from.
Sweet Sixteen Apples vs. Honeycrisp Apples
I want to do an apple comparison between Sweet Sixteen and its more famous Minnesota developed variety, the Honeycrisp. My family and I tried both of them side by side. Everyone seems to prefer the texture of Honeycrisp. I actually liked the actual flavor of the Sweet Sixteen apple over Honeycrisp. The Honeycrisp we had were from the current crop out of Washington. As indicated previously it would be nice to do a comparison between the two in Minnesota.
What Are Sweet Sixteen Apples Good for?
I find that the Sweet Sixteen apple is on the sweet side for baking. However I did like the apple for a salad. The sweet apple was a nice contrast to the bitterness of salad greens, the acidity of salad dressing, and the tang of the feta cheese I used on my salad.
What also makes Sweet Sixteen a good apple is that it resists browning quickly.
The picture above shows you what a Sweet Sixteen apple looked like an hour after I cut it. It was not turning brown very fast at all. Yes, you do see it starting to tint brown but some apples are quite brown even after just 10-15 minutes. I think you have plenty of time to eat them on a salad or if you are going to use them on a board with cheese and meat.
Where to Buy
You typically will need to get this variety directly from a farm. Here is a list of orchards that I know have Sweet Sixteen apples sometime during the season:
- Tamiyasu Orchards (Hood River, OR)
- Johnston Fruit Farm (Swanton, OH)
- Holmes Lake Apple Orchard (Grantsburg, WI)
- Minnetonka Orchard (Minnetrista, MN)
- Avenue Orchard (Eau Claire, WI)
- Keller's Farmstand (Oswego, IL)
- Gould Hill Farm (Contoocook, NH)
- Lynd Fruit Farm (Pataskala, OH)
- 1913 Kickapoo Orchard (Gays Mills, WI)
- Fishkill Farms (Hopewell Junction, NY)
Have you tried this apple? What did you think? Leave a comment below telling us. Be a helper and share where you found it. You may make someone's day with your insider info on where to get them! If you are a true apple lover, you'll want to check out all of our apple reviews.
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