An entry from a writer in Minneapolis, Minn., rose to the top. Chef Art Smith, who judged the contest, picked an ode to SweeTango by Reuven Perlman as the grand prize winner. Perlman wins $5,000 and a box of SweeTango apples. His winning description also will appear in stores during next year’s SweeTango season.

Perlman took 43 words to portray the sensation of biting into a SweeTango apple. He said he fashioned his description in a burst of inspiration in a single evening, then honed his entry the following morning.

Here’s the winning entry:

Reuven Perlman

“SweeTango isn’t the apple you know, it’s the one you’ve always wanted. In the sweet snap of the first bite, the juicy-crisp swell of autumnal flavor redefines what an apple should be. The taste is simple and symphonic. SweeTango is the apple, perfected.”

The Juicy Details contest challenged SweeTango fans to capture the experience of enjoying their favorite apple in 50 words or fewer. More than 600 apple lovers gave it a shot.

Chef Art Smith — a restaurateur, author, philanthropist, activist and reality show contestant – pored through the entries, looking for the one that captured SweeTango’s distinct flavor and superior eating experience.

Chef Art Smith

Next Big Thing, a cooperative of orchards that grows and markets SweeTango, hosted the contest as a way to give apple lovers an opportunity to share their love for SweeTango. “Our goal with the Juicy Details contest was to challenge our fans to put words to the superior apple-eating experience that SweeTango provides,” said Tim Bryne, president of Next Big Thing, A Growers Cooperative. “SweeTango fans rose to the challenge. It was exciting to read so many great entries.”

Three runners-up in the Juicy Details contest will receive a 12-pack of SweeTango apples. The runner-up prize winners are:

Monica Bowe, Ohio
“Wishing you could have your cake and eat it, too? A SweetTango apple is so deliciously sweet and wonderfully crisp that you’ll almost forget that it’s good for you. Eating healthy just got easier.”

Stephanie Lamb, Arizona
“Teeth pierce through the crisp skin, emitting juicy drops quite unlike any a tongue has previously encountered. There’s a familiar tartness, followed up by the most delectable tangy sweetness one could ever imagine. Like healthy candy. Firm flesh makes a satisfying crunch, then seemingly dissolves into a smooth, buttery flesh.”

Chris Connolly, Ontario
“This is the flavor of children running and playing in the apple orchard, kicking through leaves and laughing with arms outstretched. It’s back packs and lunch bags being opened with anticipation of a sweet and tangy reward grown in natures perfect package. It is… happiness.”

SweeTango, the most celebrated apple variety in years, has won over sophisticated foodies and casual fans alike. SweeTango is crisp and juicy with a smooth texture. The flavor is rich and vibrant. Sweet notes framed by bright acidity gratify with every crisp bite.

Introduced in limited quantities in 2009, SweeTango is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar! varieties. SweeTango, an early season variety, is available in stores nationwide this fall. The apple’s flavor is nurtured by the finest apple growers in the world. Featured in the 2011 food issue of The New Yorker magazine, SweeTango was developed by expert apple breeders and is grown by committed family-run orchards.

We asked SweeTango fans to put their love for this great apple to words.

They responded in droves to our “Juicy Details” contest, with nearly 600 wordsmiths submitting entries prior to last week’s deadline.

We’re compiling the entries now and celebrity chef Art Smith will pore over the submissions and pick a winner soon. The person who best describes SweeTango is 50 words or fewer wins $5,000 and will get to see their winning descriptions printed in stores next year.

While you wait to hear about the winner, check out the “word cloud” we generated from all the entries. The cloud shows which words our fans used most often to describe SweeTango.

Be sure to “like” our page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for news about the Juicy Details contest and other updates from SweeTango.

In Chicago, the “Hungry Hound” keeps everyone in the Windy City up to speed on the best culinary trends and treats.

This week, the Hound (aka Steve Dolinsky at ABC 7) caught wind of SweeTango and shared his excitement with his fans.

Check out the story for great background on SweeTango, plus some tasty SweeTango recipes developed by chefs at the Chicago restaurant Telegraph.

You’ll also see an interview with SweeTango grower Trever Meachum of High Acres Fruit Farm in Hartford, Mich. Trever is among the great farmers in Next Big Thing, the cooperative of growers that grow and market SweeTango.

So we’re sharing our own recipes and pairing suggestions, as well as links to some of our favorite apple recipes online.

Bon appetit!

SweeTango Apple Pairing Suggestions

• Sliced SweeTango apples with a young, Pecorino Toscana and chilled Prosecco
• Sliced SweeTango apples with a young Manchego cheese, Marcona almonds and a chilled Fino sherry
• SweeTango apples with an aged Camembert of St. Andre cheese, crusty bread, Membrillo paste and a Viognier wine
• SweeTango Sloppy Joes - Sautéed bulk pork sausage, caramelized onions and SweeTango apples. Season with a little sage and black pepper, serve like a “sloppy joe.”
• SweeTango Omelet – Sautéed SweeTango apples, French ham and shredded gruyere cheese.

SweeTango Apple Recipe

SweeTango Apple and Cranberry Salsa
This recipe comes courtesy of Ron Bohnert of Danny’s Bar and Grill at Stoneridge Golf Club in Stillwater, Minn.

3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup SweeTango apple (medium diced with peel on)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons chardonnay
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon jalapeño(minced, with seeds)
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a small sauce pan, add vinegar, apple, cranberries and wine. Over medium heat, cook until the fresh cranberries burst. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Apple Recipes From Around the Web

Some of the recipes below don’t specifically mention using SweeTango apples, but we’re sure would be great with SweeTango.

• Arugula, Apple & Chickpea Salad Wraps – The Kitchn. This is has become one of our new favorite ways to pack a big salad for the times when we have to eat on the run. It’s compact, it’s tidy, and best of all, it’s super tasty. Click for full recipe.
• Baked Apple with Walnuts and Raisins – Cookus Interruptus. This baked apple recipe is the ultimate warm and tasty fall treat. Fantastic when served with ice cream or whipped cream, this will also make your entire kitchen smell delicious. Click for full recipe.
• Sliced Apple and Smoked Gouda Pizza – FitSugar. This healthy and easy recipe only bakes for 6-8 minutes. Excellent for a healthy appetizer or a quick weekday dinner. Click for full recipe.

Please comment on this post if you have a SweeTango recipe that you would like to share – we’re always looking for more!

Someday they’ll get around to fixing grandpa’s old tractor.

In the meantime, members of the Oakes family have apples to grow. And cider to make. And a winery to run.

Darrel Oakes

The Oakes family has been farming in Orleans County in New York for nearly a century. A few years ago, they started growing a new star of the show, SweeTango.

Chris Oakes, a fourth generation apple grower, says SweeTango is the finest apple he’s ever tasted.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten as far as apples, and I’ve eaten a lot of apples,” he said. “It’s the juiciest, sweetest, tartest — all into one. It’s really an experience you have to have for yourself.”

The heart of LynOaken Farms is the property Leonard Oakes bought in 1918. He picked a fine spot just a few miles south of Lake Ontario, which helps create an ideal climate for apple growing. There’s been an Oakes home on the land ever since.

Leonard Oakes founded the farm in 1918.

LynOaken Farms is part of Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative, which grows and markets SweeTango. We like to say that SweeTango is flavor, nurtured by the finest apple growers in the world.