Apples

All of the apple trees in our pick-your-own orchard are fully-dwarfed and trained to a four wire trellis. This allows us to offer apples for picking from just above the ground to the six foot level. So everyone can pick their own apples at our farm, from the tallest to the smallest.

We offer twenty varieties of apples for harvest, and we have several more varieties planted for evaluation. These varieties ripen at different times from the third week in August to the end of October. So try to make a weekly visit to Easy Pickin's and you should find a new variety ready to tickle your taste buds!

PaulaRed: Earlier than McIntosh, PaulaRed is a dark red, almost purple, apple that develops good size. It is used in the same fashion as McIntosh, but has a richer, fuller flavor.

Gala: Familiar to many of our customers as one of our earliest sweet apples, Gala is from New Zealand. The offspring of Kidd's Orange and Golden Delicious, Gala was developed in 1937, but didn't make it to the US until the late sixties. Gala has a distinctive orange color that seems to glow on the tree, and a remarkable sweet, crunchy flesh. Gala is one of the very best apples we grow.

McIntosh: Found as a chance seedling in Ontario, Canada, McIntosh has unknown parentage. Sometimes thought of as the New England apple, because it thrives in our cooler climate, McIntosh is thought by many to be an essential mix in apple pie. Firm and tart early in the season, Macs get sweeter as they hang on the tree.

Cortland: A large, red-striped apple with bright white flesh, another favorite for pies. When cut, the flesh oxidizes (turns brown) very slowly, so it maintains an appealing color when sliced into salads or fruit bowls.

Sayaka: Developed by a private breeder in Japan, Sayaka is a cross between Jonathan and Sekai-ichi. A good choice for pies and sauce, Sayaka is an extremely large red apple with a tart refreshing flavor.

Liberty: From Macoun X PRI 54-12 comes Liberty. A medium sized apple that ripens just before Macoun. Liberty has creamy yellow flesh with a crisp and juicy texture. Very tart early in the season, we found that when kept in cold storage, it gradually sweetens. Macoun lovers should try this tart sibling.

Macoun: A cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black, this apple was first introduced in the early 1940's. It has developed a very loyal and enthusiastic following in the New England area, where it ripens to perfection. When Macoun is at it's peak in flavor, it is one of the world's premier eating apples.

Empire: Developed in 1966 at Cornell University, Empire is a cross between McIntosh and Delicious. We've found Empire to be superior to McIntosh in pies, especially when mixed with a tarter apple, such as Liberty or Rubinette. In addition, it makes a fine apple for eating.

Pink Beauty: From British Columbia, we have a cross between Golden Delicious and McIntosh. A crisp, juicy apple with a flavor that is somewhat plum-like, shaped like Delicious, with a pink cherry-red color and firm skin.

Creston: Also from British Columbia and formerly known as 15-10 Creston was bred from Golden Delicious and BC 381079 in the early 1980's. Similar to Jonagold in size and appearance, Creston offers a very crisp and juicy texture and a flavor that has been described as "pleasant and refreshing".

Rubinette: A selection from Switzerland, Rubinette is a cross between Golden Delicious and Cox Orange Pippin. A small, russet apple, Rubinette has a tart, exciting taste. Rubinette is quite popular with our tart-apple loving customers.

Jonagold: Golden Delicious X Jonathan has produced Jonagold, an extremely large and attractive apple. With a pleasing blush on a yellow background, Jonagold has an outstanding sweet and tangy flavor, very complex. Also as good for cooking as it is eating, one Jonagold can be baked and served for two!

Golden Delicious: Discovered as a chance seedling in West Virginia around 1900, Golden Delicious is juicy, sweet, sharp, and aromatic. Medium to large size fruit can develop a pinkish blush if nights are cool prior to harvest. A favorite for eating fresh from the tree, but also excellent for cooking and baking.

Red Delicious: Originally called Hawkeye, this famous variety was discovered in 1870. When allowed to ripen fully on the tree, Red Delicious has an entirely different taste then when imported from the Pacific Northwest.

Mutsu (Crispin): A cross between Golden Delicious and a Japanese apple named Indo, Mutsu has a complex, full-bodied flavor that some say hints of anise. Mutsu has one of the most dense

Kinsei: Bred in 1954, and introduced in 1970, Kinsei is a cross between Golden Delicious and Rallis Janet. A late-ripening apple (near the end of October), Kinsei has a buttery-rich texture and a flavor that has been described as "deep and complex with a tropical, almost mango-like, background."

Fortune: From the breeding program at Cornell University in New York, Fortune provides us with a large, solid red apple with a tart-but-sweet aromatic flavor. The Northern Spy heritage of this apple makes it a great baking apple.

Fuji: As with Braeburn, Fuji is regarded as one of the top ten apple varieties in the world. From a 1939 Japanese breeding program, it's parentage is Red Delicious X Ralls Janet. Fuji is a medium sized, round apple with reddish stripes over a green-yellow background. This fruit has a firm, finely grained texture with a sweet-tart aromatic taste. Fuji will stay crisp in your fridge for months.

Braeburn: A chance seedling found near Braeburn, New Zealand in 1952. It's parentage is unknown, but suspected to be some combination of Lady Williams, Cox Orange Pippin, and Granny Smith. Tart and very late in the season, Braeburn has come to be recognized as one of the ten best apple varieties in the world.