As the leaves change and the crisp smells of autumn engulf the air, young kids, parents and college students alike can be found picking apples from the lush trees of Honey Pot Hill Orchards, partaking in a cheerful New England seasonal tradition that occurs right before the cold, colorless winter begins.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for students to get outside the city to a much healthier atmosphere before the winter,” said Lori Hawkes, event coordinator for the orchard. “The air here is much better than city air.”
Lying 20 miles outside of Boston in Stow, Honey Pot Hill is one of more than 50 orchards with “you-pick” apple picking in the greater Boston area, according to applepickingboston.com. October is the prime harvesting month for many apple varieties, including Macintosh, Gala, Red Delicious and Golden Crisp, so now is the perfect time for students to go outside city limits and spend the day outdoors.
CRISP AIR AND APPLE CRISP
For first time students to the Northeast, apple picking can also be a gateway into the traditional culture of New England.
Meredith Medlin, from Nashville, Tenn., went apple picking for the first time this fall at Davis Farmland in Sterling an hour’s drive outside of Boston.
“I had never been apple picking before,” Medlin said, a freshman at Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences. “It was really fun and funny that you can just pick an apple off the tree and eat them while walking.”
“They use any of the apples that are on the ground to make cider,” Medlin said. “So when I tried a bite of this apple I didn’t really like I just threw it on the ground. It was great!”
Sophia Fregoso, a freshman in CAS, found an event on Facebook to take a hiking excursion at Thousand Acre Woods and afterwards pick apples at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston.
Coming from Southern California, Fregoso decided to click “attend” to see more of New England, she said.
“Last month’s excursion to Red Apple Farm was my very first apple picking experience. It seemed like a quintessential opportunity to take advantage of,” Fregoso said.
Orchards give apple aficionados greater ability to find the perfect apple and to experience different varieties. Every apple hanging off every tree beckons to the picker, who only has to reach up and pluck the fruit of his or her choice.
“It was such a hands-on experience, it was great not having to settle for the produce in the supermarket and instead being able to climb up a tree and inspect which apple I really wanted,” Fregoso said.
TREAT YOURSELF TO A RETREAT
Not only do orchards offer “you-pick” apple picking, but many times allow customers the option to buy apple-related goodies, walk through pumpkin patches and participate in other autumn activities.
For Fregoso, pairing hiking with apple picking was a combination that led to a “day of perfection.”
“It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, being among the trees had such a magical feeling,” Fregoso said. “There were some breathtaking photos from the hike and afterward we ventured through orchard after orchard picking apples.”
Honey Pot Hill offers hayrides, corn mazes, an area to watch farm animals and a country store where donuts, caramel apples and fresh apple cider are sold. The expansive grounds are available for picnicking.
AN APPLE A DAY
When food is worked for, when trudging up and down hills is required to find the perfect fruit, it tastes so much better.
“Plus, it’s a great healthy snack alternative to the average college students choices,” Hawkes said.
Apples can inhibit the growth of colon and lung cancers by as much as 50 percent, according to a 2000 study by Cornell University. Apples also provide 15 percent of our recommended daily vitamin C, contain 21 grams of carbohydrates that can act as an energy lift and contain potassium, which can help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke.
Plus, there are many delicious foods that can be made with apples.
Experiment before the bags of apples you’re bound to bring home go bad by making apple pie, cider, apple crisp, cider donuts, caramel apples, candied apples or apple fritters (or make all of them!).
“After we got home my friends and I compiled our apples that night and made delicious apple treats of our own,” Fregoso said. “We cut up apples and made two apple cinnamon cakes with cinnamon frosting and an appetizer out of the apple skins by heating them up and sprinkling cinnamon on top.”
Good news for poor college students looking for a cheap weekend activity: the average cost of apple picking is between $10-25.
“We ended up bringing back 25 pounds of apples in four or five different varieties and it only cost $15 to get as much as you want,” said Medlin. “You can bake with them or just eat the apples and it’s not that far out of the city, making for a fun, cheap Saturday trip.”
So, before the autumn leaves fall off the trees and winter’s cold grasp engulfs the Northeast, venture outside of the bustling city limits and go pick some apples.
Honey Pot Hill Orchards is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily until Oct. 24th.
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