Fall 2026 CSA

CSA Update, November 1, 2026

Today’s update comes to you from within the cooler, which is looking a bit chaotic this time of the year. We got all of the apples picked but our usual organizational scheme goes out the window as we try to find space for every variety. Thursday is our pressing day and it’s like a spring cleaning every week. No sooner are we done pressing than the cooler starts filling with apples again. This year we’ve been pressing our own apples and also apples from Afton Apple in Hastings and Cedar Hill Orchard in Hutchinson. The arrangement we have is a win for us both: they both “pack out” first and second apples and then have “thirds” left over. Without their own press, those apples would go to waste, so that’s where I can help by buying their garbage, so to speak. And their thirds are far from garbage — they’re perfectly suitable for pressing, they just have a bruise or a stem poke or some other cosmetic damage. Since we’re also selling fresh cider to Mississippi Markets, Seward Co-ops, Shepherd’s Table, Radish Farm Stop, and Wise Acre this year, we’re pressing more than ever and it’s going great — minus the snafu we had during the week the press was down.

We have one more weekend open at the orchard and then we’ll have our Pork n’ Cider Harvest Party on Saturday, November 14, where I make as much as I can out of apples and pork. I’ll send out the link via email for discounted tickets for CSA members.

What else is happening at the orchard this week? Oh, nothing more than a new canine addition to the family! She’s learning her place and is loving pets from EVERYBODY. More to come about sweet Maisy.

McIntosh
Discovered by John McIntosh on his farm
Canada, 1811
McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Frostbite
Parentage unknown; aka MN 447
University of Minnesota, 1921
Frostbite is an astounding apple: it is a parent to Keepsake and Sweet Sixteen and a grandparent to Honeycrisp. Its flavor has been described as sugar cane, molasses and malt. To me, its notes of deep warm spices and a nod to savory makes me think of mincemeat pie. It is extremely cold hardy and was used in the breeding program at the U since 1921 and finally released in 2008. Frostbite may be the most unique apple you’ve ever experienced.

Liberty
Macoun x Purdue 54-12
Purdue-Rutgers-Illinois, 1978
Liberty is a release from the PRI program, which is best known for its scab resistant varieties (scab is the primary fungal pest of apple trees and can kill a tree over a period of years). Liberty is part of the McIntosh family and carries some typical traits of that family: dark skin, more squat than spherical, and vinous flavor with a hit of acid. Cooks up saucy.

Haralson
Wealthy x Malinda
University of Minnesota, 1923
Minnesotans’ favorite apple BHC (before Honeycrisp). A good eater and baker. Use in combination with Cortland and/or McIntosh for an unbeatable pie or crisp. Stores well, up to four months. The tree itself is extremely cold hardy; however, it is a strong biennial bearer, which means it produces a lot in year one and nothing in year two.

Cortland
Ben Davis x McIntosh
Cornell University, New York, 1915
Cortland is widely grown on the East Coast and also in Quebec and Ontario. Like other McIntosh progeny, Cortland apples are squat with dark red to purplish skin, white flesh, and have a “vinous” flavor (which means that it has some flavor qualities of wine). Cortland is excellent for eating when freshly picked, but its texture suffers in storage. It cooks up saucy.

Golden Russet
Eastern United States, mid-1800’s
Of all the russeted apple varieties, the Golden Russet is the most widely grown. It’s almost a misnomer to identify a single variety as “Golden Russet” because there are at least twenty varieties being grown in the U.S. known as Golden Russet. What you can count on with any Golden Russet is intense acid and sugar, a beautiful yellow-orange-green ground color covered almost entirely by russeting, and the dense flesh that makes it such a good keeper.

Prairie Spy
Parentage unknown.
University of Minnesota, 1940
Large, firm, and juicy with a sweet-tart balance that leans toward tart. Fun fact: Prairie Spy is an extremely dense apple; a bushel of them weighs more than a bushel of any other apple variety. Prairie Spy is a bit of a sleeper apple but the folks who love it love it a lot. It is an excellent keeper and is good for fresh eating and baking. Not related to the Northern Spy, a favorite of ours for cider making. This’ll be the only appearance Prairie Spy makes in the boxes this season because our harvest of it was light due to the spring freeze.

CSA Update, October 25, 2026

It’s the time of the season when I’m starting to get a bit tired so between that and some encouragement from one of their teachers, we decided it was time for the teens to make today’s video. It’s shorter than usual but that’s okay — I only wanted them to talk about what they knew, which was about which apple they liked and could talk about. Baby steps, right?

We did, in fact, do a lot of picking last week, leaving only the Zone 5/longest-growing-season apples out there. There are many of those varieties, but really not so many of those trees so it will leave ample time for pressing and bottling and also time for the new dog (! more on that to come).

We have maybe one, maybe two weekends left of being open at the orchard this fall, all depending on the weather. I’m also planning on the third annual Pork n’ Cider Harvest Party for Saturday, November 14. That’s a day where I make a whole bunch of food out of pork and apples and get to entertain at the orchard in a different style than what I’ve been doing all fall long. I love doing it, too, because it puts me in the kitchen far more than I’ve been all fall, which I always enjoy. I don’t have info up about the party anywhere yet, but that’ll come soon. My brain is still immersed in the right now of the apple season, but I need to wrap my head around what comes after ASAP!

This week’s boxes included Northern Spy, which is a cider that will set you up nicely for colder weather eating and drinking. We’ve traditionally enjoyed Northern Spy with our Thanksgiving meal but it really goes nicely with all of the slightly heavier cuisine that seems to come with cooler weather. It is a single-variety cider, which means it is made just out of Northern Spy apples — and those apples will probably be in next week’s boxes!

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious)
University of Minnesota, 1991
The Honeycrisp apple needs no introduction. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

McIntosh
Discovered by John McIntosh on his farm
Canada, 1811
McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Frostbite
Parentage unknown; aka MN 447
University of Minnesota, 1921
Frostbite is an astounding apple: it is a parent to Keepsake and Sweet Sixteen and a grandparent to Honeycrisp. Its flavor has been described as sugar cane, molasses and malt. To me, its notes of deep warm spices and a nod to savory makes me think of mincemeat pie. It is extremely cold hardy and was used in the breeding program at the U since 1921 and finally released in 2008. Frostbite may be the most unique apple you’ve ever experienced.

Honeygold
Golden Delicious x Haralson
University of Minnesota, 1970
Honeygold is another classic release from the University of Minnesota that took Minnesotans’ favorite – Haralson – and crossed it with one of the world’s favorites – Golden Delicious. The cross turned out well, didn’t it! Honeygold is crisp with a sweet-tart flavor that leans sweet. It keeps about two months in storage. Excellent for fresh eating and when cooked, holds its shape. (By the way, did you know that Golden Delicious is a grandparent to Honeycrisp?)

Liberty
Macoun x Purdue 54-12
Purdue-Rutgers-Illinois, 1978
Liberty is a release from the PRI program, which is best known for its scab resistant varieties (scab is the primary fungal pest of apple trees and can kill a tree over a period of years). Liberty is part of the McIntosh family and carries some typical traits of that family: dark skin, more squat than spherical, and vinous flavor with a hit of acid. Cooks up saucy.

Haralson
Wealthy x Malinda
University of Minnesota, 1923
Minnesotans’ favorite apple BHC (before Honeycrisp). A good eater and baker. Use in combination with Cortland and/or McIntosh for an unbeatable pie or crisp. Stores well, up to four months. The tree itself is extremely cold hardy; however, it is a strong biennial bearer, which means it produces a lot in year one and nothing in year two.

Ashton Bitter
Dabinett x Stoke’s Red, 1947
aka Ashton Bittersweet
Bristol, England
Ashton Bitter is a bittersweet cider apple bred for and widely used in English cider production. It was developed by George Spinks at the Long Ashton Research Station. That agricultural research organization was much like our own U of M’s Horticultural Research Center in Victoria, except Long Ashton’s goal was to develop apples for (hard) cider production.

CSA Update, October 18, 2026

The season keeps trucking along down here and — good news! — the press is fixed. The guys who worked on it are dad and son operation from Faribault. They got the press working as well as it was prior to the seal failure and we now have plans for them to take the press for three weeks in the summer to make it good as new, which will be amazing. My press is very old technology — it’s powered by a pump and hydraulics - but it does such a good job making delicious juice with high yields. I put a pic below if you want to see it being loaded up on their trailer.

I think all of our apples will be picked within the coming week, which will be the earliest ever. There are some varieties that love a long growing season so we’ll assess those especially, but I know that Keepsake and SnowSweet will be ready to be picked for sure.

Cortland
Ben Davis x McIntosh
Cornell University, New York, 1915
Cortland is widely grown on the East Coast and also in Quebec and Ontario. Like other McIntosh progeny, Cortland apples are squat with dark red to purplish skin, white flesh, and have a “vinous” flavor (which means that it has some flavor qualities of wine). Cortland is excellent for eating when freshly picked, but its texture suffers in storage. It cooks up saucy.

Honeycrisp (forgot this one in the pic)
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious)
University of Minnesota, 1991
The Honeycrisp apple needs no introduction. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Regent
Red Duchess x Red Delicious
University of Minnesota, 1963
Here’s what I’ve written in past years: “this is a solid apple. Flavor? It’s a pleasant blend of sugar and acidity. Texture? Crispy enough. And plenty juicy. Really, it’s a solid apple, just nobody’s favorite.” But this year? Oh boy – Regent seemed to love this year’s growing conditions because its flavor is top notch, its acid is exciting, and it may just be my top recommended apple for this week.

McIntosh
Discovered by John McIntosh on his farm
Canada, 1811
McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Kerr
Dolgo x Haralson
South Dakota, 1944
Kerr has a lot going for it: it’s extremely cold hardy, it keeps in cold storage for months, it is scab (fungus) and fireblight (bacteria) resistant, it makes a tasty cider, and it is a delicious apple! Dolgo is an old Russian crabapple with a flavor like a tropical SweeTart; and, of course, you know Haralson, one of the U of M’s second-most notorious releases.

Frostbite
Parentage unknown; aka MN 447
University of Minnesota, 1921
Frostbite is an astounding apple: it is a parent to Keepsake and Sweet Sixteen and a grandparent to Honeycrisp. Its flavor has been described as sugar cane, molasses and malt. To me, its notes of deep warm spices and a nod to savory makes me think of mincemeat pie. It is extremely cold hardy and was used in the breeding program at the U since 1921 and finally released in 2008. Frostbite may be the most unique apple you’ve ever experienced.

Winter Banana
Originated around 1876 at the farm of David Flory of Cass County, Indiana
aka Banana Apple, Fall Banana, Flory
Winter Banana is an attractive yellow apple with a red blush. It’s one of the few varieties that is self-fertile. It’s a highly aromatic apple with a pleasant perfumed aroma that some people perceive as banana, but usually only in the most ripe fruits. Though it has a mild flavor, it has a thin skin and it is tender and firm.

CSA Update, October 11, 2026

I was a bit verbose in today’s video (below), going into all kinds of detail about the apple’s press’s broken hydraulic seal and the newest insect scourge of brown marmorated stink bugs. Never a dull moment!

This week’s jam: honeyberry — like a juicy, tart blueberry

This week’s cider: Perennial — it seemed perfectly suited for the warmer-than- normal weather. Eminently quaffable!

Cortland
Ben Davis x McIntosh
Cornell University, New York, 1915
Cortland is widely grown on the East Coast and also in Quebec and Ontario. Like other McIntosh progeny, Cortland apples are squat with dark red to purplish skin, white flesh, and have a “vinous” flavor (which means that it has some flavor qualities of wine). Cortland is excellent for eating when freshly picked, but its texture suffers in storage. It cooks up saucy.

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious)
University of Minnesota, 1991
The Honeycrisp apple needs no introduction. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Haralson
Wealthy x Malinda
University of Minnesota, 1923
Minnesotans’ favorite apple BHC (before Honeycrisp). A good eater and baker. Use in combination with Cortland for an unbeatable pie or crisp. Stores well, up to four months. The tree itself is extremely cold hardy; however, it is a strong biennial bearer, which means it produces a lot in year one and nothing in year two. Notably for this week, it is a step-sibling of sorts to the Chestnut Crab, both sharing Malinda as a parent.

Regent
Red Duchess x Red Delicious
University of Minnesota, 1963
Here’s what I’ve written in past years: “this is a solid apple. Flavor? It’s a pleasant blend of sugar and acidity. Texture? Crispy enough. And plenty juicy. Really, it’s a solid apple, just nobody’s favorite.” But this year? Oh boy – Regent seemed to love this year’s growing conditions because its flavor is top notch, its acid is exciting, and it may just be my top recommended apple for this week.

McIntosh
Discovered by John McIntosh on his farm
Canada, 1811
McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Kerr
Dolgo x Haralson
South Dakota, 1944
Kerr has a lot going for it: it’s extremely cold hardy, it keeps in cold storage for months, it is scab (fungus) and fireblight (bacteria) resistant, it makes a tasty cider, and it is a delicious apple! Dolgo is an old Russian crabapple with a flavor like a tropical SweeTart; and, of course, you know Haralson, one of the U of M’s second-most notorious releases.

Frostbite
Parentage unknown; aka MN 447
University of Minnesota, 1921
Frostbite is an astounding apple: it is a parent to Keepsake and Sweet Sixteen and a grandparent to Honeycrisp. Its flavor has been described as sugar cane, molasses and malt. To me, its notes of deep warm spices and a nod to savory makes me think of mincemeat pie. It is extremely cold hardy and was used in the breeding program at the U since 1921 and finally released in 2008. Frostbite may be the most unique apple you’ve ever experienced.

CSA Update, October 4, 2026

I think it’s fair to say that we’re in the peak of the season down here and the weather this weekend couldn’t have been better. Finally! We did get rain on Saturday late afternoon/evening, but at this point it isn’t a Saturday unless it rains. I’m looking forward to a dry stretch so we can drive the Gator out into the pig pen with spent pomace from pressing loaded on the back — something I hate to do when the pig pen is a muddy, sloppy mess.

I know I always reference the weather in my missives here, but the weather is such a big deal! Rain means no picking. Heat means pick ASAP. And a significant cold snap forecasted for post leaf-peak in the Twin Cities (https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/02/fall-colors-turning-in-minnesota-north-of-interstate-94) has me thinking I’d better have a plan to pick all of the remaining apples from the trees in case it’s a season ending kind of cold snap. Of course, ideal fall weather also signifies orchard season, so we saw some crowds down here really for the first time this year. After a few lazy, slow-paced Saturdays, the teens needed to find a new gear!

We got a lot of picking done this week and for some of our more limited varieties, it seems like they come in the door at the beginning of the week and are out the door by the end of the week. That means Ashmead’s Kernel and Ribston Pippin have come and gone — the last of these went out in boxes on Sunday and I didn’t even have any for a photo! Thankfully we have one of our “weird” varieties — Frostbite — coming out of the orchard in abundance this week and should be sticking around for a while.

The Regent and Haralson and Honeycrisp harvests were stellar this year though the Haralson suffered from stinkbug damage, the likes of which I have never seen before. Whether that damage is from a common stink bug or the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is yet to be seen; I participate in a Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) invasive pest scouting program and they will let me know soon if the dreaded BMSB has finally made it into our neck of the woods. Based on the Haralson damage, I would say yes.

Cortland and McIntosh are still sticking around, but the Chestnut supply is down to less than a bushel, so we’ll be saying goodbye to that variety for the season soon.

Egremont Russet
Somerset, England, 1872
Like many russets, the Egremont has high sugar and high acid, resulting in an intense flavor. It has some tannins too, mostly in the skin, which gives it that attribute of drying out your mouth. Although its texture is best described as dense-crunchy – not how we Americans like our apple texture – it is regarded as the best of the russets. Its disease resistance and self-fertility make it a popular apple for home growers in England. Commercially, it is the third most cultivated apple in England.

Ribston Pippin
Yorkshire England, 1709 (via Normandy)
Aka the Glory of York, the Ribston Pippin was a dessert apple of renown in Victorian England and arguably England’s greatest apple. Its flavor is intense and its appearance is ruddy and russeted. It is a parent of Cox Orange Pippin, a far better known apple among aficionados. The original tree lived until 1928. Interestingly, Ribston Pippin is a triploid apple, which means it needs to be pollinated by two different varieties. I really love this one.

Cortland
Ben Davis x McIntosh
Cornell University, New York, 1915
Cortland is widely grown on the East Coast and also in Quebec and Ontario. Like other McIntosh progeny, Cortland apples are squat with dark red to purplish skin, white flesh, and have a “vinous” flavor (which means that it has some flavor qualities of wine). Cortland is excellent for eating when freshly picked, but its texture suffers in storage. It cooks up saucy.

Chestnut Crab
Malinda x unknown
U of M, 1948
The Chestnut Crab is unlike any crabapple you’ve ever had before. It is sweet with a dense texture and tastes like a real treat. Chestnut grew out of a seed from a Malinda apple, an apple variety that played a significant role in the U of M’s apple breeding program.

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious)
University of Minnesota, 1991
The Honeycrisp apple needs no introduction. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Haralson
Wealthy x Malinda
University of Minnesota, 1923
Minnesotans’ favorite apple BHC (before Honeycrisp). A good eater and baker. Use in combination with Cortland for an unbeatable pie or crisp. Stores well, up to four months. The tree itself is extremely cold hardy; however, it is a strong biennial bearer, which means it produces a lot in year one and nothing in year two. Notably for this week, it is a step-sibling of sorts to the Chestnut Crab, both sharing Malinda as a parent.

Regent
Red Duchess x Red Delicious
University of Minnesota, 1963
Here’s what I’ve written in past years: “this is a solid apple. Flavor? It’s a pleasant blend of sugar and acidity. Texture? Crispy enough. And plenty juicy. Really, it’s a solid apple, just nobody’s favorite.” But this year? Oh boy – Regent seemed to love this year’s growing conditions because its flavor is top notch, its acid is exciting, and it may just be my top recommended apple for this week.

Ashmead’s Kernel
Grown from a seed planted by William Ashmead
England, early 1700’s
First, we must agree that we won’t judge an apple by its appearance. Ashmead’s is fully russeted and looks more like a potato than an apple. But if you’re willing to judge on flavor alone, you’ll find Ashmead’s to be superlative: its high acid and high sugar levels make Ashmead’s one of the most intensely and richly flavored apples. Best for fresh eating and also for cider.

CSA Update, September 27, 2026

Here I am, writing with another wet dispatch from Soggyland Orchard! If last night’s rain doesn’t get us officially out of drought, Tuesday’s rain is sure to do so. The rain is a wonderful recharge for the soil and will help ensure that the trees will come out of the winter stronger than they would’ve otherwise, so overall I’m grateful for the wet.

We keep picking. This week it was Ashmead’s Kernel, Egremont Russet, Bramtot, Foxwhelp, Haralson, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Macoun, Regent, and Sweet 16. This week’s pressing includes a lot of Haralson, Estival, and a healthy mix of any early season apples we decided whose time had passed.

We also wrapped up all of our packaging for our apple brandy products, which is a big, big deal! I suppose the timeframe for making apple brandy isn’t that far from the timeline for making ice cider, but the apple brandy has been sitting in a barrel for 2-½ years, so it feels wonderful to be getting it and its associated products (eau de vie, which is unaged brandy and an apple brandy Old Fashioned cocktail) out the door. At last!

On to the apples in your box:

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious) released by the University of Minnesota in 1991. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Chestnut Crab
Malinda x unknown, U of M, 1948
The Chestnut Crab is unlike any crabapple you’ve ever had before. It is sweet with a dense texture and tastes like a real treat. Chestnut grew out of a seed from a Malinda apple, an apple variety that played a significant role in the U of M’s apple breeding program.

Sweet Sixteen
Northern Spy x Frostbite (MN447)
U of M, 1977

Sweet Sixteen is the second variety the U released that was a cross between Northern Spy and Frostbite; the other is Keepsake. Like its sibling, Sweet Sixteen has yellow-ish flesh and bounds of flavor. The best versions of this variety have a cherry popsicle flavor and sometimes an undercurrent of anise. They’re tricky to pick: underripe and they’re hard and sweet without much flavor; overripe and they’re on the ground.

Ashmead’s Kernel
Grown from a seed planted by William Ashmead
England, early 1700’s

First, we must agree that we won’t judge an apple by its appearance. Ashmead’s is fully russeted and looks more like a potato than an apple. But if you’re willing to judge on flavor alone, you’ll find Ashmead’s to be superlative: its high acid and high sugar levels make Ashmead’s one of the most intensely and richly flavored apples. Best for fresh eating and also for cider.

Delbarde Estivale
Golden Delicious x Stark Jonagrimes
aka Delcorf, Dalili, Monidel
France, 1956

Estival, as it’s known in Minnesota, is not a commonly grown apple here, which is a shame. It has a creamy texture, hints of anise, and is absolutely bursting with juice and a pleasing amount of acid. They’re not the most attractive apple ,nor are they the crispiest, and they also bruise easily, but Estival is still a solid apple worth an eat and, for my salt, easy to grow.

CSA Update, September 20, 2026

We got some much needed rain that sogged everything up for Saturday but by today, it had all soaked in like it had never rained — save for the bonfire firewood, of course. So we did the bottling projects while it was wet and now that it’s cleared up, all of the Haralson are coming in from the orchard. Yes, that’s awfully early for Haralson. Growing up, I always thought of Haralson as an October 1 apple and in recent history, we’ve begun picking it during the last week of September. Because of the rain, we’re actually a bit late picking it this year because everything — apples, corn, beans — is two weeks early.

In boxes this week you have Minnesota Mule (half share subscribers) or Cherry Rhubarb (full share subscribers). You also have the following apples:

Honeycrisp
Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious) released by the University of Minnesota in 1991. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Chestnut Crab
Malinda x unknown, U of M, 1948
The Chestnut Crab is unlike any crabapple you’ve ever had before. It is sweet with a dense texture and tastes like a real treat. Chestnut grew out of a seed from a Malinda apple, an apple variety that played a significant role in the U of M’s apple breeding program.

McIntosh
Canada, 1811
Yes, it’s McIntosh this week and not Paula Red, like I said in the video. By the time Sunday afternoon came around I couldn’t remember what apples went into boxes this week so I asked my daughter, who packed them up. And she misled me! McIntosh is, at least, the more classic choice for an apple and if you’re a sauce maker, a lovely sauce apple.

Maidens Blush
New Jersey, late 1700’s
aka Lady Blush, Red Cheek.
Maiden Blush was a surprise addition to the orchard because the nursery had mislabeled its stock, but we’re happy to have it here. Good for eating and a gem for drying, the flesh is fine-grained and tender. Picked slightly early, the apple has good acid. Picked fully ripe, you’ll experience less acid for a more mellow flavor. Cooks quickly into sauce. Widely grown in the southern U.S.

CSA Update, September 13, 2026

I’ve got the teens in charge of the CSA this year — including one of my own — so I helped them pack it up for the first time, gave them all of the city parking tips I could think of, and sent them off in the van with faith in the power of back-up cameras.

Yesterday was our first day open of the season and because of the seasonally-appropriate weather, we got to see lots of familiar faces. After spending the entire year in the orchard alone or with just one or two other people as we’re pruning or planting, it feels totally different to have people out there. It’s nice — I like the energy shift and call me odd, but I think the trees like having an appreciative audience too. Apple trees need to be managed to produce fruit annually and so the more energy you put into them, the more they perform; that’s why I think they appreciate the attention from all of the orchard visitors and I just imagine them preening as people admire their crop.

For this week’s apples, we have Paula Red, Honeycrisp, SweeTango, McIntosh, and St. Edmund’s Russet.

Paula Red is a Macintosh seedling discovered in Michigan in 1960, but treated like an honorary Minnesota variety since it’s hardy and widely planted here. It has lively acid and since I was a kid, has been my choice for early-season apples. Cooks up saucy like most members of the Macintosh family.

Honeycrisp was a crop of Keepsake x MN1627 (Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious) released by the University of Minnesota in 1991. It is the crown jewel of the best apple variety breeding program in the world and is surpassed in flavor and texture only by its children, most notably the SweeTango.

Speaking of SweeTango: it is a cross of Honeycrisp and Zestar! released by the University of Minnesota in 2009. As much as we love the diversity of flavors and textures in apples, SweeTango may just be the best eating apple. It is a highly flavorful apple with the texture of Honeycrisp. It makes decent hard cider too. Its patent doesn’t expire until 2028 so if you want to plant a tree of your own (and the tree is known as Minneiska), you’ll have to wait until then.

McIntosh is one of two heirloom apples in the box this week. It was discovered by John McIntosh on his farm in Canada in 1811. McIntosh and its progeny (for example, Cortland and Macoun) can be identified by a slightly squat shape, a dark red skin, a slow-to-brown white flesh, and a tart and “vinous” flavor (which means “wine-like.”) McIntosh is an excellent sauce apple since it cooks up saucy and has a fairly complex flavor.

Lastly, St. Edmunds Russet was discovered by Richard Harvey in his orchard in Bury St. Edmund’s in Suffolk, England around 1870 with no idea what its parents are. In Rowan Jacobson’s book, Apples of Uncommon Character, he describes the flavor of this apple as, “like vanilla pudding infused with pear essence. Early in the season, the richness can be masked by a blast of lemony acid but this gives way to a yellow-cake flavor.” The earliest-ripening russet. Doesn’t keep well.

Offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box lets us deliver a best-of-the-orchard package of apples, cider, and cider donuts to you on a weekly or biweekly schedule during the fall. Every Sunday morning we load up the van and bring your pre-ordered box to one of the drop-off sites listed below.

You can choose a full share, which is weekly delivery for ten weeks from September 13 through November 15; or you can choose a half-share, which is every-other-weekly delivery during that same time period. If you choose a half-share, we’ll let you know if your delivery dates will be September 13, September 27, October 11, October 25, and November 8; or if they’ll be September 20, October, 4, October 18, November 1, and November 15.

You’ll be able to designate your pick-up location at check-out, and this fall’s pick-up spots include:

• Dogwood Coffee Grand

• Dogwood Coffee East Lake

• Dogwood Coffee St. Paul (University)

• Dogwood Coffee NE

• Well Nourished Farmstand, New Brighton

• France 44

• Sweetland Orchard

You can add on to your basic CSA package too (all the way at the bottom of this page) with items like apple chips, apple crisp, or more of anything that’s already in your box.

If you’d like to help me save on charges related to credit card processing, I’d be very happy if you used Venmo (sweetland-orchard) or wanted to send a check. If you use Venmo, let me know what your order is and your preferred pick-up site and I’ll get back to you with a confirmation. Questions? Get in touch via email at sweetlandorchard@gmail.com or text to 651-252-4337.