Apple Picking

The Perfect Fall Excursion

It’s September. The nights are getting cooler, the leaves are beginning to change color, and it’s time to get out the flannel plaids and head to your local pick-your-own-apple orchards. Yes, it’s apple picking season! There's nothing better than a crisp autumn day spent with family and friends picking McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Fuji apples. The month of September is generally the best time of year to pick apples up to early October. While different varieties of apples ripen at different times, and the climate varies the harvest from year to year, early fall is almost always a reliable time to go apple picking. 

After days of rain, bright blue skies, and a hankering for crisp juicy apples and fresh apple cider, I was lured to Randall Orchards & Cider Mill in Standish. Since 1906, four generations of the Randall family have produced over 23  varieties of apples, as well as peaches and pears. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon and I almost had the whole orchard to myself, all 60 acres including a pond. Wandering through the rows of trees, their branches laden with ripe red apples, I came across a sweet couple, Stephanie and Andre, that were visiting Maine. Stephanie is a Maine native and Andre was experiencing his first visit. They had filled their tote bags with apples, and were off to purchase Apple Cider, freshly pressed on site  at the Cider Mill. The orchard presses cider 3-4 times a week. Made from their apples, it is preservative free. 

Randall Orchard provides U-Pick options or you can purchase apple filled totes at the farm stand. Along with selling locally produced honey and maple syrup, they also offer a wide range of produce including a large selection of pumpkins grown at the orchard and other local farms. The day after Thanksgiving, the orchard starts selling Maine Christmas trees and wreaths and then remains open until the last of the trees and wreaths are gone. 

A few pointers on picking apples. To pick the apple, lift and twist it off of the branch. Don't pull it off as it causes nearby apples to fall as well as damages the spur needed for next year's apple. If the apple is ripe it should easily come off. Be gentle with the apples when placing them in the bag or basket. 

When you bring your bounty home, store your apples correctly to extend their shelf life as long as possible. For apples that will be eaten right away, you can keep them in a bowl on the counter for a few days. (A bowl of fresh fruit is the perfect way to freshen up the kitchen!) Otherwise, store them in the refrigerator, preferably in their own crisper drawer. Apples produce ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone, that causes other fruits nearby to ripen faster. So it’s best to keep them separate. 

To find a Maine orchard near you, check out the Maine Pomological Society's website.