Apple Picking

Our family enjoys visiting the local orchards and farms to pick fresh fruit in season.

With apple season here we are ready to pick apples and enjoy lots of fresh air.

When we get home we always make fresh applesauce first. It's one of the family favorites of the season.

If you plan to venture out to your local apple orchard here are a few apple picking tips we learned over the years.

• When you get to the orchard, ask the manager which trees have the fruit ready for picking. He will know which trees flowered first.

• Choose apples that are not bruised.

• Pick the apples from the outer branches of the tree.

• For the red apples you will know it is ripe if it has a circle of green around the stem.

• Don't shake the tree to make the apples fall -- the apples will bruise.
  

• When picking the apple, hold the apple firmly and roll it toward the tree branch then twist the apple until the stem breaks.

• Lastly, place each apple into the basket gently. If you drop them they will bruise.

• Bruised apples go bad faster than unbruised apples.

• When you get home do not wash the apples until ready to use.

• Keep the apples in a cool place to increase the shelf life.

I hope you enjoy your apple picking adventure. It is a great way to spend a fall afternoon and the children always have a good time.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks