From pumpkins to corn to the big grape harvest, Fall is a wonderful time to experience the many pleasures of food and drink. And, just as the French take to the ground in the Fall to forage for mushrooms, the Americans take to the trees in search of apples.
Every year for the last 7 years (at least!), I’ve gone apple picking with my husband’s family. In most cases, we’ve had great luck with the crop, the weather, and the great lighting for taking photos. This year, due to the extreme summer heat in the Midwest and lack of rain, the crops were extremely limited – many orchards sold only prepicked apples or didn’t open their orchards at all. It was a very sad year in the apple industry. For a few weeks, we really thought we’d have to skip this year’s apple picking adventure, but our outing was saved by Heinz Orchard near Libertyville, IL.
The orchard (which was just an orchard and no more) had several rows of apple trees with many different varieties, including Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious. It is especially fun to find that one perfect apple, shine it on your shirt, and take the first big bite of the season, followed by many bites of apple sauce, apple pie, and apple slices.
Thank you to Heinz Orchard for helping us keep a wonderful tradition alive. Fall just wouldn’t be the same without apple picking! And now with 3-4 pounds of ripe apples in hand, it’s time to get baking!
Ciao!
