Apple Picking Early October 2007

At the very end of the apple picking season John and I went to the local farm to pick some apples. This is an annual event for our family. When the kids were little we'd pack them in the car and head out. In addition to apples, the trip always includes purchasing a gallon of cider--hand pressed before your very eyes--and cider donuts. Cider and donuts are a rare treat in the great northeast. It only lasts during the month of September and early October.

Now that the kids are all grown up, John and I find ourselves trekking out to Indian Ladder Farm by ourselves in search of the yummy goodness of apples fresh-picked by our own hands. This year, we were a little disappointed. We caught the very end of apple picking season. The only apples they were allowing us to pick were a rather tasteless, small yellow apple that I can't remember the name of.

When we told the guy at the stand that we didn't like the apples where we were picking he sent us across the street behind the big barn to pick what was left of the golden delicious. Initially we drove across the street and behind the barn and past the pumpkin patch. We started walking up a hill to find the golden delicious. We walked and walked. Finally we came upon several rows of very spotty, suspicious-looking yellow apples. Upon tasting them, John determined them to be OK. So we began picking. As we walked along picking, we came upon another group of trees with weirdly shaped red apples, then further on another variety of red apples. Since none of these areas had signs, we have no idea what we picked. John must have eaten 25 apples before we were done as he felt it necessary to taste test after the first batch were tasteless. I , alas, don't like fresh apples at all and don't eat them. I like 'em cooked but not raw. So John was the sole taster. Ultimately we came home with a big bag of apples of dubious distinction and we are eating them.

Next year we will start earlier so we can get the good ones.