Thursday, September 25, 2014

Visiting the Apple Orchard














Yesterday, we took a little trip north to a wonderful organic apple orchard. Blessed by Mother Nature with beautiful sunshine and a warm autumn day we picked apples, we ate apples and we picked more apples. When we were done picking we enjoyed a little picnic by the edge of the woods, and then wondered along the nature trail.

When I tell people we travel 90 minutes to pick apples I often get strange looks, we do after all, have about six local orchards in our area. But, this little gem of an orchard is worth the drive. Organic apple orchards are hard to come by, and for us, worth the time and energy to travel a little bit further to pick.

So, my friend and I packed up her car with food, kids and my knitting, and away we went. She drove, I knit, the kids talked, sang and laughed. Yes, there was a little bickering in the back seat, and more than once the call of "when will we be there", but when the sun is shining on a beautiful autumn day and you are on your way to pick organic apples, not much can get you down.

We had a great time at the orchard, and packed the car up with apples, and cider before heading home. In the days to come apple cake and apple crisp will be baked, applesauce will be put by for the winter, and apple and berry fruit leathers will be dehydrated. I promised Reece and his little friend that we will push a few apples through the juicer today, and you can bet more apples with cinnamon will be roasted around the fire.

It's apple season, friends, and that is a wonderful thing.

33 comments:

  1. Oh apple picking, how I love it! We go a few times every fall. This year, we are adding pear picking. Next year, we will add plum and cherry. So many new types of orchards in our area, it's amazing! Happy baking!

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    1. It is awesome, isn't it? I wish we could go a few times, but with the drive, just not possible. Lots of great orchards in your area...are they organic?

      Thanks, apple cake was baked today, so good.

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  2. what a gorgeous basket of apples !!! it looked like such a beautiful day. And i agree, an organic orchard is worth the drive.

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    1. Thanks! It was the most wonderful autumn day, better than we could have dreamed.

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  3. This is something I really miss from the east coast. You and Reece are so lucky- what a wonderful day....I bet these apples taste SO delish!
    Beautiful all pictures Kim.
    Enjoy :)

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    1. They are so sweet, and we are enjoying them. No apple picking in Montana? That is too bad.

      Thank you.

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  4. Looks like you had a perfect day to pick! Yum!

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  5. oh how magical apple picking in an orchard is. Jeff and I picked apples in an orchard, way out in the middle of nowhere CA the year before Ellie was born. It was so fun! This year, Ellie got to go picking with her Nana and Papa while we were in New Hampshire. She loved it!

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    1. It is magical, and so much fun! How fun for Ellie, I bet she loved it. Maybe more of that in your future????

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  6. Lovely. i understand about organic apples. We are blessed to be surrounded by many organic farms (though I'm stuck in the urban neighborhood in the middle. wistful sigh). Our Fireside Apple tree had all of it's apple blown off the other day. 5 out of the 15 made it (it's a small tree we just planted last year), but what a yummy 5 they were. Enjoy your Autumn gems.

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    1. Oh no, glad you were able to save 5 of them. I bet they were delicious.

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  7. Thank you for your beautifull blog, with nature, garden, gratitude,colors.. so many wonderfull things...

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  8. Kim, the pictures are just gorgeous! We have yet to go apple picking but I'm hoping to get there next week! We're in need of a fresh round of canned applesauce and, of course, apple cake and apple crisp! And yes, organic apple orchards are hard to find! There is one near us but we've yet to be picking there as the last several years they've had trouble with the crop. xo

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    1. Thanks Shel! Hope you do get there next week, winter without a stash of applesauce would be dreadful :)

      The organic orchards do tend to have a few more issues. I did find one closer to home this year, but they are all ready picked out. They have a smaller, younger orchard and after the hard winter, didn't have much to pick.

      The one we go to it is a big orchard, but about four years ago they didn't open at all. There was a late spring frost that killed all the blossoms and there were no apples to be picked. Thank goodness that isn't a regular occurance.

      Hopefully your organic orchard will get a good crop soon. xo

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  9. Beautiful pictures of Autumn and apples. I love apples and you're making me want to go and eat one right now, which is very bad because it's way past my bedtime!

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    1. Thank you Sally. It is passed your bedtime my friend. Sweet dreams. xo

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  10. Wonderful! Visiting an apple orchard is on my list, I've never been to one and I don't think my one apple tree counts.
    Enjoy all the fresh goodness!

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    1. Really Tracey? Oh how I wish I could take you. You would love it. So much goodness in one place.

      Thank you, we will!

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  11. What a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing it with me!

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  12. Kim, where is this orchard you speak of? I would definitely be interested in checking it out. We went apple picking yesterday and it was heaven. Honestly. But they weren't organic. :(

    So glad your day was full of sunshine!

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    1. You would love it and should definitely check it out. I am thinking it would be closer to you. It is about 10 minutes north of the Cookstown Outlet Mall, at Hwy 400 and Hwy 89.

      Here's the link to the orchard...http://avalonorchards.net/index.html

      If you go, let me know what you think. We love it there. Maybe next year we could plan to meet there for a little apple picking adventure together :)

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  13. Apple season has such a special place in my heart. Probably because I hold tight to the rule of no apples out of season. So once we finish all the fresh apples and no more can be picked at the orchard then it's over. It's hard to bare sometimes but it's worth it.

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    1. It is a wonderful time of year. Enjoy those apples my friend. xo

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  14. we drive everywhere and anywhere so the 90 minute drive you do is not surprising. Love the day you had and those apples look perfect and fresh, i bet your car smelled delicious. Look at his hands, how small and yet how big.

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    1. Those apples are amazing! And we are enjoying them :)

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  15. Magnificent photos !
    And which beautiful moments.

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  16. How nice it is to spend days with your son like this, so much to treasure.

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    1. Definitely. When we were swimming today an elderly lady was swimming near us and came over to say hello and tell me how lucky I was. I agreed wholeheartedly with her...so very lucky to get to spend my days with my little man.

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  17. Apple season is a great time of year. There are plenty of 'U Pick' orchards around here, so it seems like everyone I know is going out apple picking. We do it every year and always enjoy it...and the baking afterward too.
    I've just blogged our recent trip if you are interested http://theplaceunderthepine.blogspot.ca/2014/09/apple-pickin.html

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    1. It definitely is! And the baking...oh yes, so good. Heading over to check out your trip to the orchard right now.

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