Did You Know?

How about them apples!

About 80 percent of the apples produced in Minnesota are varieties that were developed at the University of Minnesota. The Honeycrisp hit our grocery stores in the early 1990s. Photo by Dave Hansen

The Honeycrisp ^TM apple -- developed at the University of Minnesota to thrive in a cool northern climate -- was recently named Minnesota's official state fruit by lawmakers in St. Paul, joining the loon, the walleye and the Norway pine as one of those symbols that distinctively say "Minnesota."

The seed for this official designation was planted by a fourth grade class in Bayport, Minn., who wrote to their legislators about how the Honeycrisp has taken the state by storm.

The rest of the world is developing a taste for Honeycrisps as well. More than 2 million trees have been planted worldwide in apple-growing areas such as the Pacific Northwest, upstate New York, Nova Scotia, France's Loire Valley and northern Germany. The Honeycrisp recently was named one of the "25 Innovations That Changed the World" by the Association of University Technology Managers, alongside advances like the Google search engine and electronic hearing implants for the deaf.

* Minnesota growers produce about 40 million Honeycrisp apples annually on more than 300 orchards across the state.

* Each Honeycrisp tree puts an estimated $1,000 of additional income into the pockets of their growers. (Minnesota growers receive the fifth highest price for their apples in the United States -- due, in part, to the many high-quality apples developed by the University.)

* And consumers love it too. The Honeycrisp recently replaced the venerable Haralson variety (also developed at the University) as the best-selling apple in the state.

One reason the Honeycrisp is so popular is its hardiness -- it can stand up to Minnesota weather and store up to 10 months in the fridge. Another is taste. University researchers Jim Luby and David Bedford bred the Honeycrisp to have unusually large cells (twice as big as the normal apple) which account for its big crunch and "explosively crisp" texture.

In total, about 80 percent of the apples grown in Minnesota today are varieties developed by the University's fruit-breeding program -- the only such program in the Upper Midwest and one of just four in the United States. Over its history the program has yielded more than 100 cold-weather varieties of fruits like blueberries and currants, making Minnesota an unlikely paradise for the farmers, backyard gardeners and connoisseurs of delicious healthy food.

Further reading

UMNnews: Another sweet accomplishment

UMNnews: Breeding their share of good apples

University of Minnesota Apple Web site