To me, Fall in New York’s Hudson Valley area means apple-picking. Last weekend, my husband, daughter and I, along with a friend went on our annual visit to Fishkill Farms in Fishkill, NY to pick apples. It turned out to be a sunny and warm day – perfect for tromping in the orchards looking for the best apples. We were armed with our own apple picker and were the envy of all the other visitors since the farm wasn’t giving out any for use. The one’s that were ready to pick were the Jonamac, Cortland, Spartan, Macoun and McIntosh. We found the best apples to be the Macoun and McIntosh and the supply was plentiful. We picked a full bushel of apples! Half went home with our daughter’s friend, the other half with us.
[caption id="attachment_6223" align="alignleft" width="150"] My masterpiece![/caption]
Later that day I baked our fresh apple pie. It smelled so good when I took it out of the oven that we decided to forgo dinner and just have pie...a la mode of course! I don’t consider myself a baker in any way though I do love to bake pies in the Fall. To be honest, I use the Pillsbury ready made crusts. I even follow the apple pie recipe on the side of the box with a few slight variations. Using fresh apples and the other ingredients still makes it a homemade pie as far as I’m concerned. Here are a few places to pick your own apples throughout the Hudson Valley Area:
Wilkens Fruit Farm Yorktown
Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard North Salem
Salinger's Farm Market Brewster
Fishkill Farms Fishkill
Barton Orchards Beekman
Where do you go to pick apples in the Hudson Valley and what is your favorite recipe for using the apples?