Haralson Apples

Pucker up! The Haralsons have arrived.

Crisp, juicy and slightly sour, Haralson Apples are the reason Minneapolis city slickers make a beeline to southern Minnesota for the harvest festivals.

You can take the boy out of Minnesota, but you can't take Minnesota out of our Utah boy. In late Autumn, my buddy Mike gets a care package from Mom. We're particularly nice to Mike, this time of year, because the box is filled with the most scrumptious apples you'll ever find. That is, if you can find them.

I hate to break it to Mike but when it comes to endangered species, Haralson Apples are probably on the list. They are long growing, exceptionally cold hardy apple trees, popular in Minnesota and Wisconsin and that's pretty much it. In fact, even the National Arbor Foundation couldn't tell me where I could buy one of these terrific trees.

Did you know there are over 150 types of apple trees?

Hard to believe when you view the limited variety in most supermarkets. That's because the really tasty ones don't generally hold up to the demands of trucking them all over the US.

Haralsons are disease-resistant, extremely hardy, vigorous and productive. Ideal for hard cider. If you're lucky enough to find these trees, plant 3 for easy pollination.

PS: Beautiful spring flowers, too!