Minnesota Applehouse

Home of the honey crisp apple this fun local stop is cool to check out for some fall essentials and honestly potentially good gifts in preparation for the holiday season (it becomes a holiday boutique in early to mid Nov). Ofcourse I had to get some apples and apple cider! They also had some meat, dairy and frozen baked goodies- all produced by the U of M which was cool.On the day we went there was the Northstar Donut food truck there where we got some drinks and cider donuts.The prices for some things are overpriced IMO but understandable to treat yourself from time to time too. I definitely recommend checking out their website too for hours, recipes and more.

New meaning for an apple a day. This place has everything. Besides 2 bags of different style apples I got a soy sauce and a bourbon vanilla. I didn't check out everything they had and I do mean everything. I showed great restraint. They said they open mid August-mid December. I love the drive over and you can spot Paisley Park as you drive through Chanhassen. This will be my main apple spot and I'll never buy them in the store again.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Apple house are at the top of my fall list! If you don't have time to wander the beautiful grounds of the arboretum it's still worth the drive to stop at the apple house! Check out some a variety of apples and some awesome local products. My personal favorite is the caramel apples!! Idk what they do differently but it's the best caramel apple I've had! The pumpkin patch was pretty awesome too! There were some very unique huge squash and pumpkins out there and they provide wagons if you end up with one of the bigger sized gourds. They also had super cute little decorative pumpkins!**As a bonus you'll find the North Star donut truck outside with fresh hot apple cider donuts and cider slushies!!!

I visited the Minnesota Applehouse on a Sunday afternoon and it was kind of busy but definitely came in waves! We got a parking spot easily, there is one small dirt lot. Inside the Applehouse people got backed up pretty easily because there is only one one-way lane. Inside they've got all the goods: apple cider, pickled things, jams, pumpkins, and pre-bagged apples. Not a pick your own up all of the bagged apples have been inspected and are in great condition! They also have wine-grapes which I thought was cool!Outside, they've got a grass area with pumpkins and gourds. There's also a bunch of hay bails to hang out on/kids to play on. Payment is kind of honor system, it says that there's a camera but I'm not sure there actually is haha. You can pick whatever you want outside, take it to your car, then go inside and just tell them what size you grabbed. This is Minnesota so I think this system works out for them!On my visit the North Star Donuts truck was on the grass serving apple cider donuts, hot apple cider, and apple cider slushies!COVID-19 Notes: distancing dots on the ground, staff wearing masks, and outdoor seating. They also wiped down baskets after each use

Get your apples here. The type of apples obviously varies throughout the season, probably 4 dozen altogether but usually 8 - 10 different ones available in any given week. You can find familiar, rare, and experimental apples grown by the University of Minnesota. The signs include the origins and uses for each of the apples.

Just down the road for the Minnesota Arboretum, this is a nice spot to stop after visiting the Arb! We picked out a few apples to eat on the way home, found a gourd I couldn't live without, bought some kick-butt pickles and pancake mix! I'm sad that the North Star Donut food truck was closed (Monday & Tuesday).

I love this place! University blended apples fresh from the orchard. Get a distribution schedule and check the time of year (in Fall) for the apple variety you want. Check the store for bargains, as in Utility apples, those from the ground, with a few blemishes. Otherwise pay more, somewhat more, for 'A' rated picks. Sometime there are three price ranges. There are other items to choose from like pancake mix, jams etc., but prepare to pay premium price for these. The Applehouse is close to the Landscape Arboretum as you continue to head West.The apples are so fresh. How fresh are they? Sometimes the conveyor belt that runs right through the shop is running with cleaned apples as the employees do the sorting right next to your shopping spree.

You can certainly find less expensive apples easily. But it is still fun to see many locally made items that you know are going to help local causes. Plus the kids seem to enjoy seeing the apple sorting machine running and finding maple syrup locally made is tough to find but they do have it on sale here.

We stopped by the Applehouse to try out some new varieties that are being tested by the University of Minnesota. I recognized a couple of the varieties available, such as honeycrisp, cortland, and macintosh, but the rest were new to me. Some of the varieties offered don't have official names since they haven't earned their keep yet - I went with a half peck of number 1850. I especially like that each variety had a sign with their favor profile, usage, and shelf-life details. They have three classifications of apple qualities and the price point reflects the three levels of quality. The first class of apples (blemish-free) were generally $3 more than the second class apples (occasional blemishes, but nothing major), and the utility apples (the oddballs due to shape, size, bruises, etc.) were offered as a bulk bag (one peck) for an exceptionally reasonable price. I bought a peck of utility apples for baking and freezing. They also have wood-fired pizzas - according to their website the pizza oven is offered 12-6pm, Thursday-Sunday until the end of October.

Such a fun store -- fun but pricey products. Great to browse -- I wish there were samples. It's an awesome visit!