A century of crispy: An apple revolution at the UofM
How the University of Minnesota changed the landscape of one of the world’s most famous fruits.
By: Nasir Mahamud
In 1878, the University of Minnesota began a mission to grow fruit that could survive sub-zero degree winters. What began as a search for survivable fruit transformed the global produce aisle. Since the program’s inception, 29 new apple varieties have been released, turning Minnesota into an epicenter of the apple revolution. From the durable Haralson and the game-changing Honeycrisp, to the premium SweeTango, these pivotal fruit innovations prove that the future of apples goes through Minnesota.
The “Core” Four: Insights from Sarah Kostic, PhD
U of M Fruit Breeding Researcher: Sarah is a researcher with the University of Minnesota Apple Breeding Program who focuses on using DNA and genetic analysis to help develop better apples with improved taste, texture and disease resistance.
The Genetic Lottery:
“Apples don’t grow ‘true-to-type’ from seeds. Every seed is a unique offspring, like a human child. If you plant a Honeycrisp seed, you won’t get a Honeycrisp tree. To keep a variety identical, we have to ‘clone’ it by grafting a branch onto a new rootstock.”
The 30-Year Marathon:
“Developing a new apple is an exercise in extreme patience. It takes approximately 25 to 30 years to move from a single seedling to a fruit that is actually ready for a grocery store shelf.”
The Elite Trio:
“The University of Minnesota is one of only three public apple-breeding programs in the entire U.S. Alongside Cornell and Washington State. Our research sets the bar for global apple development.”
The Next Big Leap:
“My current favorite is one of our newest releases: SuperSnap. It has an ultra-crisp texture and incredible flavor. It’s the next superstar to watch for in the coming years.”
Here’s the full Q&A with Sarah Kostic:
1. What do you think is the most interesting or surprising thing about apples that most people don’t know?
Something that a lot of people do not know about apples is that apples do not come true-to-type from seed. What this means is that if you were to plant a seed from a Honeycrisp apple, you would not get a Honeycrisp tree. Each seed is the result of sexual reproduction. So, each seed is an offspring of Honeycrisp. If we want to propagate more trees of a given apple variety, we need to use clonal propagation in which we graft the variety that we want to propagate onto a rootstock.
2. Between Haralson, Honeycrisp, and SweeTango, what makes each one unique to you or the department?
All three of the varieties you have listed were released by the University of Minnesota apple breeding program. Haralson is an older variety and is not really known outside of Minnesota. Honeycrisp really changed the game in regard to what consumers expect for apple texture. Minneiska (SweeTango® apple) is a child of Honeycrisp, and it combines the crisp texture with excellent flavor.
3. Did you or the department ever have a moment when you realized Honeycrisp was going to be something special?
Honeycrisp was selected way before my time so I can’t really answer this question.
4. What does the process of creating a new apple actually look like from start to finish?
This blog post provides a good overview of what the breeding process looks like. https://arb.umn.edu/blog/2025/09/04/thousand-seedlings-one-perfect-apple
5. How long does it usually take to develop a new apple before people can buy it in stores?
It takes approximately 25-30 years to develop a new apple variety.
6. What role does Minnesota play in apple development compared to other places?
The University of Minnesota is one of three public apple breeding programs. The other two public programs are at Cornell University in New York and Washington State University in Washington.
7. Do you personally have a favorite apple variety? If so, what makes it stand out to you?
That is a tough question! I would have to say my current favorite of our released apple varieties is one of our newest, MN2138 (SuperSnapTM apple). It has an ultra crispTM texture and an excellent flavor.
8. What are you guys usually looking for when trying to create a new apple?
Every breeding program has breeding targets (things that we are looking for in a new apple). In this breeding program, we are primarily targeting appearance, eating quality (e.g., texture, flavor), storability (i.e., how well the variety maintains quality in cold storage), and disease resistance.
9. What is the most challenging part about developing a new apple?
One challenge is that apple is characterized by long generation times. To develop a new variety, we need to be able to evaluate fruit over multiple years. It can take several years before a tree produces fruit and we can evaluate it. Sometimes trees will produce fruit in one year and not the other (biennial bearing).
10. Why do researchers keep creating new apple varieties when there are already so many?
Every apple variety has its own set of advantages and challenges. Some varieties are prone to storage disorders or diseases; others struggle to develop color in some environments. Additionally, consumers vary regarding their preferences. There is always room for improvement and novelty.
11. What do you think the future of apples looks like in the next 5–10 years?
The apple market is currently very competitive and challenging. It is hard to say what the future of apples looks like.
12. If someone could only try one Minnesota apple, which one would you recommend and why?
That would really depend on a person’s preferences when it comes to apples, but I think that Minneiska (SweeTango® apple) is an excellent eating experience or our newest release MN2138 (SuperSnapTM apple) which should be available to consumers in a few years.
13. What is something about apple breeding or apples in general that you wish more people understood?
That apple breeding is a long, resource-intensive process that requires a lot of patience.