Visit An Apple Orchard This Weekend!
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Yesterday was our “Field Trip Friday” so we took a trip to a local apple orchard to partake of a variety of amazing apples, check out all of the end of summer garden produce, and enjoy Apple Cider Slushies!
This is Isom’s Orchard in Athens, Alabama. It is a family run orchard and they have amazing produce along with really good folks. 🙂
But before we get into the apples just take a moment with me to appreciate the end of summer bounty!
Wow.
I would love to have all of that!
The girls (Katy and her friend, Mary) were curious about some tomatoes they saw in odd shapes and with different colors and patterns than they are used to seeing so they asked questions and one of the Isom’s took several minutes to explain the different varieties of tomatoes and how they grew them.
They had never seen chestnuts before and were really intrigued by them. We’ll have to roast up some chestnuts soon!
Of course, the main attraction is the apples this time of year. I honestly can’t even tell you all of the varieties they have. Jonagold and Golden Delicious are two of my favorites but they let me taste an Enterprise apple and I was really impressed with the texture and tart sweetness of it. I was tempted to buy some but I ended up with a 1/2 bushel of Golden Delicious since they are such a good eating and baking apple. I also plan to dehydrate some this weekend.
There are lots of places set up for photographs at this particular orchard. A pumpkin patch with decorated old fashioned buggy, a beautiful wagon wheel bench surrounded by mums and pumpkins, and more. But in the end, the girls just wanted to sit a chat on some hay bales – and that turned out pretty perfect, too.
If you have time in the near future, I encourage you pack up the family and head on out to an Orchard.
The sites, smells, and tastes this time of year can’t be beat!
I just now realized you are homeschooling Christy. That’s wonderful, I really hope your year is going great!
Isom’s Orchard is a great place to visit and get some wonderful apples and other home grown food as well. Actually they have most anything you could want. While visiting my granddaughter in Madison last year we went to Isom’s and she picked out pumpkins and gourds to paint it was a fun day…..We live in Boaz so it is a long drive but it is worth it.
What a fun day! I love your Field Trip Fridays. A trip to the apple orchard is a MUST for our family in the fall. Last year I purchased too many apples and ended up giving half away to friends. But that was fun, too.
Next time you purchase too many make some apple butter, or dried apple chips! Then you can enjoy them for much longer!
Thanks, Christy. I really wanted to can apple butter but I never have. I got scared and ended up abandoning ship. Maybe I’ll finally do it this fall.
Have you checked out my tutorial on it? Nothing special needed and you can definitely do it! https://www.southernplate.com/2008/09/yes-you-can-can-canning-tutorial-with.html
While searching for chestnuts ready to be harvested last Fall, my husband and I stumbled upon two large apple trees whose owners informed us that we could pick what we wanted. Their generosity resulted in apple butter, applesauce and apple jelly that lasted well into Spring! My personal favorite varieties of apples are Honeycrisp and Courtland.
The tomato growers a block from my home have a wonderful tradition. After they have harvested their quota for their commercial sales they invite the surrounding communities to pick the remaining tomatoes FREE OF CHARGE for several weeks. So each year I can tomatoes and make plenty of salsa. Opening a jar is a welcome taste of Summer during bleary Winter and far tastier than the hard, pale pinkish-orange offerings at the grocery stores.
Looking forward to trying the new apple recipes! Thanks so much for the variety!
What a wonderful blessing!!! I love that they are so willing to share their apples and tomatoes!!
Our favorite Orchard is Sky Top in NC. Living in Florida we don’t have them, so we drive up and make a weekend of it. It’s absolutely beautiful the views, tons of apples, apple slushies, apple cider donuts and just being in the mountains.
Thanks for sharing Christy!
I love the mountains too Cherrill!!!