By Karen Shadrach
The air is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to turn colors. It’s beginning to feel like fall and it’s time for apple picking. The only thing better than spending a sunny, crisp fall day in an orchard picking apples is sharing this fall tradition with grandchildren.
The apple-picking season starts in September and lasts until late October. Apple varieties ripen at different times, so be sure to check if there is a specific type you wish to pick. Our favorite apple picking farms include Pick n’ Save Orchard in Medina and Patterson Farm in Chesterland. A quick search online will turn up more than 20 other pick-your-own orchards in Northeast Ohio.
How Low Can You Go?
Apple trees are smaller in size and the apples grow lower to the ground, allowing younger children to pick apples themselves. Sometimes, the branches are so heavily laden with apples that they touch the ground.
With our family’s two sets of twins in tow, we need to lift the girls up to pick most of the apples, but the boys can easily find the perfect apple to pick on their own. The farm will provide you with buckets for your apples. These can get quite heavy quickly. Bring smaller containers if you think they will be needed. Also, there are usually wagons or apple carts available to pull around your containers. Children are not permitted to ride in these carts, so if you have younger grandkids, you may want to bring along your own wagon.
Dress for the weather and wear a sun hat. It is important to wear layers as it gets warm and sunny, even if it is chilly when you leave home. The grass is usually quite tall in the fields and around the trees so it is a good idea to wear long pants and even boots if the grass is wet from rain the previous night before you pick.
Easy Pickings
Pick apples by using a counterclockwise twisting motion, which will break the apple off from its stem. (Look for brown spots and wormholes before twisting.) Remind the kids not to drop the apples. Hold with both hands and then place gently in your container. Wash the apples before you eat them. Our kids like to pick smaller apples because these are perfect to pack in lunches and make great snacks.
Many of the farms offer hayrides around the farm and out to the apple trees on the weekends. We prefer to go on weekdays because there are fewer people and we feel more relaxed roaming through the apple trees for pictures and enjoying the experience. Some farms have chickens, horses and other animals for the grandkids to pet and feed.
Apple picking is such a fun fall tradition. It provides the opportunity to see different apple trees and try the tastes of many apple varieties. Most apple orchards have freshly made cider and apple fritters, donuts and pies for sale. We always make time for cider and a donut before heading home.
Apples store well in the refrigerator. You can peel, dice and cook apples with cinnamon for delicious fresh applesauce. Our little Abigail loves and always wants to eat donuts, so we had to come up with a healthier alternative: “Abby’s Apples.” We make these healthy “donuts” by cutting out the core and slicing the apple horizontally. Spread the slices with flavored cream cheese or peanut butter and top with raisins or mini chocolate chips.
Go apple picking with your grandkids and share the fun and beauty of an autumn orchard.
Sidebar:
Apple Crisp Recipe
Spread 4 cups of sliced apples evenly in an 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle with a mixture of ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon salt.
Work together until crumbly, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup flour and 1/3 cup soft butter.
Spread the crumb mixture over the apples. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm.
* Source: “Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls”
