About SweeTango®
Origin – Breeders at the University of Minnesota spent more than a decade developing the Minneiska cultivar, the tree that produces the SweeTango apple. To create SweeTango, horticulturalists crossed two of their already popular varieties, Honeycrisp™ and Zestar!™. The result is an apple that delivers a unique flavor and tasting experience.
Flavor – Juicy and sweet with hints of fall spices, SweeTango®’s flavor, balanced by vibrant acidity, dances to a long and satisfying finish on the palate. It also features the satisfying “crunch” of a Honeycrisp.
Appearance – SweeTango is a blush apple with deep red coloration over a yellow breaking background.
Availability – SweeTango® began hitting store shelves in limited volumes at select retailers in September 2009. Distribution expanded in 2010. In 2011, the SweeTango was available in grocery stores nationwide. SweeTango also is available online during the harvesting season. SweeTango® is an early-season apple, harvested in late August and early September.
About Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative
Next Big Thing is a 45-member cooperative of growers spread over five time zones, from Nova Scotia to Washington State, that will grow and market managed varieties of apples, beginning with SweeTango®. The co-op is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of nine of its members who have been elected by the group. The cooperative is headquartered in Lake City, Minn. The president of Next Big Thing is Tim Byrne, Pepin Heights’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Next Big Thing media contacts:
Allison Checco, 612-791-2014, allisonc@fasthorseinc.com
Cydney Wuerffel, 952-994-4354, cydneyw@fasthorseinc.com
Regional contacts include:
Midwest Region (MN, WI, MI) – Chris Sandwick, Pepin Heights, Lake City, MN
Western Region (WA) – Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director, Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, WA
Eastern Region (NY) – Lee Peters, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Fowler Farms, Wolcott, N.Y.
Canadian Region (All of Canada) – David Parrish, Vice President, Produce Sales & Operations, Scotian Gold Cooperative Limited, Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, Canada
*SweeTango® is a registered trademark of the University of Minnesota for fruit of the Minneiska cultivar
About University of Minnesota Apple Breeding Program
In 1908 the University of Minnesota created the Fruit Breeding Farm, now known as the Horticultural Research Center, on 80 acres near Victoria, Minn. Over the next century the farm grew to become the center of fruit research and breeding, particularly for northern climates. Apple varieties that have been named and released by the University include Fireside, Haralson, Honeygold and, more recently, Honeycrisp® and Zestar!™
Dr. Jim Luby currently directs the fruit-breeding program at the Horticultural Research Center, which actively breeds apples, blueberries, grapes and strawberries, plus a selection of other species. One of its most popular introductions, the apple cultivar Honeycrisp™, combines cold hardiness with outstanding fruit quality. It has been in strong demand at licensed nurseries across the country and is increasingly attracting international interest.
David Bedford has been an apple breeder and research scientist at the University of Minnesota for 29 years. Bedford has been involved with the development and introduction of five apple varieties: Honeycrisp™, Zestar!™, SnowSweet, Frostbite and most recently, SweeTango®. As part of the job of evaluating the 15,000 to 20,000 apple trees generated by the breeding program, Bedford typically tastes up to 500 apples per day.
In addition to breeding apples, Bedford has been involved in the development and introduction of multiple fruit varieties including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pears and plums.
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