Historical September–October 2022 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The summer heat has started to wind down. Stores have signs for products with pumpkin spice flavor. And the U-Pick apple orchards are open for business.
It is time to go apple picking. Apple picking around St. Louis can last from late July through early November.
Most “U-Pick” orchards around the St. Louis areas have apples to pick starting in late August, but many have other fruits like blueberries or peaches earlier.
There are many places you can go to pick apples.
In addition to Eckert’s, Centennial Farms, Herman’s Farm Orchard, and Braeutigam Orchards all have U-Pick locations.
These four orchards are often rated highly, but there are other smaller orchards as well. Small orchards can be the best, because the person you pay may also be the person who has tended the trees. Whichever orchard you choose, it is always a good idea to check orchard web pages, or Facebook pages. For smaller orchards, you may have to call directly. Depending on the orchard you visit, you can pick many different varieties of apples. Apples have a long and rich history and have been developed for many purposes.
There are thousands of apple varieties. Many varieties found in stores have been developed for long storage.
Some U-Pick orchards have different varieties that don’t store well that have flavors or uses that make them spectacular.
There are varieties better for fresh eating, pies, apple sauce, or even cider. Pie apples, for example, are often a little tart and hold together when cooked, more than fresh eating apples do.
There are even heirloom varieties that develop great flavor by being stored. Make sure to ask the orchard, which varieties are ripe and what their best use is. Generally, if you pick apples, you end up with more than you will eat in a day or two, so apple picking leads to other great activities. Preserving your apple harvest is not only fun, it is also important. Food processing is an element of our food security that many people know nothing about.
It is not difficult to make your own applesauce or apple butter that often tastes better than store bought. Applesauce and apple butter can last a long time in the refrigerator and both freeze well, so storage is not a problem. Freezing is also a very safe way to process your own food for storage.
It is also fun to dry your own apples. You can dry apples in the oven at the lowest setting, but there are also inexpensive food dehydrators that work well. Many people like to can their own fruit harvests, because the flavor is often much better than store bought products.
If you do decide to make something, like apple butter or jelly, it is important to use approved recipes for food safety. Two great starting places are the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and the Ball Blue Book.
Following the instructions will mean you can safely put the harvest into your pantry and save room in your freezer or fridge. However you decide to use your apple harvest, you will feel more closely connected to your food than you would if you just bought a bunch of apples at the store. Harvesting and preserving food yourself adds to the pleasure of eating it later, so go apple picking this year!
Original photograph caption
Apple illustration accompanying picking article.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 2022.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2022_09.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
