Haralson was first thought to be Malinda x Ben Davis, a cross from the Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm at Excelsior, being named after C. Haralson a fruit breeder there. However, recent DNA testing would have shown that Wealthy is the real father of Haralson, so the actual cross would be Malinda x Wealthy. One of the many noteworthy selections from the Malinda lineage in Minnesota's program. It was selected in 1913 and released 10 years later. The apple is a good firm fall apple, somewhat crispy but more of a dense texture than a crunchy one. It has a nice tart-sweet balance perhaps more on the tart side with the first pickings. Whitish flesh and red blush often covers a good proportion of the skin. Haralred is a touted (and originally patented) redder sport of the Haralson, but little difference can be found in most examples. Fruit is generally medium in size, reaching 3" in a thinned tree, but usually smaller. The best characteristic in this variety is its keeping ability, reaching 5 months under proper storage conditions. Also notable is its cold hardiness into the colder regions of zone 3. Normally a precocious bearer, and a prolific one but letting it crop heavily will insure biennial bearing. Some sources note some fireblight and cedar apple rust resistance, but it is indeed susceptible to scab. Ripens mid -Sept to early October depending on location.

Note from moderator : we need a nice picture of Haralson!

GROWER COMMENTS:

Todd Parlo, Vermont, Zone 3

Haralson is probably my current favorite our zone 3 orchard. There is little premature drop when I do a good job of thinning and the picking window is usually a good 3 weeks. This year (2009) our first picking was October 1 (a bit late due to a complete lack of summer this year). I was still eating them off the tree through the first few good freezes at the end of the month. These have kept without rotting for close to the advertised 5 months, but you have to keep the humidity up. Unlike a greasy apple, like say, Bramley's, this guy will shrivel to a prune before it rots. Still tasty for cooking it is pretty weird for fresh eating. We have both Haralred and Haralson and can tell very little difference between the two...maybe a little color difference at an early stage. Publications mention a Haralred, but also a Red Haralson but I can't find a reliable source that clarifies if these are one and the same. Haralred was patented while Haralson was not, however the patent should surely be expired by now. We have used this apple for all purposes and have been pleased. It keeps its shape in pies (though softens a bunch), keeps in flavor in cooking, makes a good cider ammendment and is among the best fresh eating. Here in Walden we have seen no cold damage on the trees in the 30's below zero (F). Normal crotch angle is acceptable but we still tweak ours with limb spreaders. The organic challenge is apple scab, which we have managed well with a few rounds of micronized sulfur on trees we earmarked for fruit sales. On the others scab can get fairly severe, but since so much of our home use is in processing and culinary uses, the output is still acceptable. The last word on the Haralson is that is the one apple which no one has turned their nose up at here. Most reactions are that it approaches a quality of what apples USED to be like. The characteristics are a welcomed deviation from the (often) thin and saccharine examples of the modern breeding programs.

 

Claude Jolicoeur, Quebec, Zone 4

Todd's comment on Haralson is interesting because it demonstrates once more that a given variety may perform in very different ways depending on the terroir on which it grows. I grafted Haralson in a couple of existing trees for testing in 1992, and it started fruiting in 96. I didn't have scab problems as Todd reports, although I do get a lot of scab on other scab sensitive varieties. However, Haralson has been a deception for me for the quality of the apple and its taste. At the season it ripens, I have so many better tasting apples that no one eats them... So I tried to use them for cider, but they are quite low in sugar concentration, and high in acid, making them pretty difficult to use in a well balanced cider blend.
It is interesting to note that many of the Minnesota and Prairie apples that I have tried (Sweet 16, Frostbite (M447), Prairie Spy, and Haralson) are not successful in my orchard near Quebec (z.4) - with the notable exception of Honeygold that I like very much, and Honeycrisp. Some don't deliver their normal quality (Haralson and Frostbite), and others are incredibly unproductive (Sweet 16 and Prairie Spy). For some reasons, they seem to dislike something. Too bad they can't talk to tell me! But my natural reaction is to discard these that don't deliver, to concentrate my efforts on those that are successful...


Kevin Frank, New Hampshire, Zone 4/5
If you like tart this is for you. Fairly dependable and blemish free with organic sprays. But it's quite tart. And I agree with Claude. Not so great for cider.

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