A visit to our favorite apple picking farm is a not-to-be-missed Fall ritual. I love walking through the orchard on a crisp, autumn day while munching on Honey Crisp (my favorite!) or Empire apples. We’ve picnicked beneath the trees on school trips, celebrated birthdays on the lawn, and joined the crowds at the annual Goold Orchard Apple Festival. I love this place best, however, when we have it to ourselves.

A Recent Visit

It was 4 o’clock, just 1 hour before closing, and all I really wanted was the cider donuts. This was our first visit of the year; however, and the kids weren’t going to leave without picking some apples.

I truly prefer the apples that are picked and bagged for me at the farm store. While I enjoy photographing the kids as they pick apples, I’m too lazy to pick and carry my own apples. I usually end up hauling the youngster’s apples anyway. Could my laziness be a good thing? Take a look at the aptly titled article, Rotten to the Core, for some ideas on what pick-your-own apple orchards tells us about Americans.

Corn Maze Detour

We bought 3 apple picking tote bags (50 cents each), fortified ourselves with a baker’s dozen of the cider donuts, and headed for the orchard.

Now there were just 50 minutes to pick apples, but the kids can’t go past the corn maze without trying to scare themselves silly. They split up to tackle the corn maze and later complained about how freaked out they were. Go figure! On the way back, they did it again.

This time, Alex claimed that he was spooked by a chipmunk who “made” him drop his apple picking haul. What’s next? Giant Killer Bunnies, I suppose.

Goold’s Orchard

We finally made it to the orchard with a whole half hour for apple picking. The children ran to pull the apples right off the trees (dwarf apple trees are the perfect size for kids.) Any parent will tell you that apple picking with children is a multi-faceted activity that involves taste-tests, chases, apple-bombs, apple size comparisons, weird-apple contests, stomping rotten apples, and rolling in the grass. Putting apples in the bag is definitely not the main event.

The Journey Is The Thing

For us, it’s all about process, not product. We had a wonderful time, and we even took home some apples. I think we have enough apples to make apple sauce, but we’ll skip the apple doll idea.

Looking for a Pick Your Own Farm near you, or lots of ideas for what to do with your haul? Click on PickYourOwn.org.

I Wonder?

Can someone tell me what is the white, waxy haze on apples? I was told that it is a natural preservative. I’m sure it is a natural phenomenon since I see it on the apples growing on our totally organic apple trees. So, what is it exactly? Post a comment to let me know. Thanks.

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