An Apple-a-Day... bye!

     In a stroke of luck, we both had yesterday off from school and work, so we actually cleaned and organized the whole house like real adults so we went apple picking!  Since moving to CT, I’ve been working on a list of the best farm stands and orchards to visit within a reasonable drive of Milford.  Yesterday I was able to add 3 more to the list.  Before heading into the vast, dangerous wilderness of southern Connecticut, we stopped to peruse at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore (which I’ll rave about in another post).  Autumn in New England is a bittersweet time.  Like an all-you-can-see buffet for your eyes just before total, abysmal whiteout 10 ft deep and 5 months long.  If you can handle the cuteness without vomiting, it’s a great couples outing to go apple picking and see the changing leaves.

     First up on our trip was Drazen Orchards in Cheshire.  Their roadside stand was exceptionally nice, with displays of mums, millet, and pumpkins out front.  Inside, employees were sorting large bins of apples near the freshest looking display of local CT veggies I’ve seen yet.  If you stop in, grab a few rolls of the homemade fruit jerky – it makes a killer car snack.

     Norton Brothers Fruit Farm was next on the itinerary, and was the one we decided to go picking at.  Their shop was one of the most comprehensive I’ve seen.  They had homemade baked goods, house-pressed cider, local produce, fresh flowers, and all the country store sweets, jellies, & knickknacks your grandmother could ask for.  We grabbed some of the best cider & donuts we’ve ever tasted, along with a beautiful pot of mums in mixed shades of orange & red.

     My favorite type of eating apple is the Macoun, a cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black.  It was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, and was first introduced in 1923.  Despite the variety’s problems with short stems and unreliable harvests year-to-year, Norton Brother’s orchard did not disappoint.

     The last farm we stopped at was Hickory Hill Orchards.  They also offered pumpkins and apple picking, and had a whole floor of their shop dedicated to Christmas decorations.  We grabbed a maple soda from the case and some hazelnut biscotti sourced in from a local bakery before heading back to Milford.