Finding SweeTango: A Seasonal Treat
SweeTango is a seasonal apple available each fall. You should look for SweeTango in your favorite stores from mid-August to early September into November and early December.
Many grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada carry SweeTango. During SweeTango season, you’ll want to pick up this great apple while you can.
Here are some questions and helpful answers:
How can I find SweeTango?
Check Our List of Retailers — During SweeTango season, we’ll post a list of locations that carry SweeTango. Here’s the list.
Follow Us — We post on Facebook and Twitter about availability, and our fans often tell us where they’re finding SweeTango.
Check Our List of Farm Markets, Orchard Stores & Festivals — Many of our growers sell SweeTango at farm markets and special events. Here’s the list.
Call Your Favorite Grocery Stores — It’s worth the effort, we promise!
Ask Your Produce Manager — If you don’t see SweeTango, ask if your grocer plans to stock any when they become available.
When can I buy SweeTango?
In the U.S., the SweeTango season generally runs from early September into November. In Canada, the season starts a few weeks later.
How do I keep SweeTango fresh and crunchy?
Selection — At the store, pick apples that are firm to the touch and are free of bruises or blemishes.
Storage — At home, refrigerate Sweetango as soon as possible to slow ripening and maintain their crunchy texture and sweet, tangy flavor. Refrigerated apples can be stored for up to 4 – 6 weeks. At room temperature, apples will ripens ten times faster!
For best results, store SweeTango in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer set to low-humidity.
And, if you’re storing in large quantities in the basement or garage, make sure to cover the apples with a clean, heavy, damp cloth. It will help retain their juiciness!
Tips — Remove overripe fruit promptly. One bad apple can literally spoil the whole bunch!
Thoroughly wash all produce under cool running water before eating.
Who can grow SweeTango apple trees?
The SweeTango apple was developed by the University of Minnesota (UM), which also developed its parents, the Honeycrisp and Zestar! apples. Accordingly, SweeTango is intellectual property owned by UM and licensed to our farmer cooperative of 47 growers that sell the fruit throughout the United States and Canada. In fact, our growers lease the trees. As a Land Grant University, UM does allow Minnesota commercial apple growers to grow a limited number of trees to consume and/or sell the apples direct to markets. Learn more from this in-depth article in the USDA’s Rural Cooperatives September/October 2015 issue.
