“Brat Summer” is winding down, but don’t let it go to waste—fall is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to go pick some apples. This year’s heat, humidity, and rainfall are all contributing to an earlier apple harvest at orchards in North Carolina, according to the Carolina Journal. N.C. State University apple researchers predicted fruits will mature one to two weeks earlier than usual.
They found skin cracking across the sample size of the fan-favorite Honeycrisp crop, but they should be ready to pick now. Red Delicious apples were showing signs of developing a month earlier than usual, with less firmness and over-ripening—which may make the fruit sweeter but without their signature crunch.
If you’re more into the tart flavor of green apples, researchers found that Granny Smith apples weren’t maturing early like the types mentioned above. However, researchers also warn that their regional sampling should not be treated as a “universal harvest schedule,” so you may want to check with local growers about which apple types will be ready when you plan to visit.
While this year’s unusual climate patterns have affected apple crops in various ways, the good news is that there are still plenty of active apple orchards in North Cartolina, the seventh-largest apple-producing state. Most of the orchards are in Western N.C., and particularly based in Henderson County. In fact, it is one of the most significant crops grown in the county, bringing in $30 million dollars every year. However, a couple of options are closer for people in the Piedmont, and all of these apple orchards offer plenty of fun things to do.
Check out these orchards in North Carolina
Jeter Mountain Farm Apple Orchard in Hendersonville
Owned by the Hunsader family, Jeter Mountain Farm has over 25 different varieties of apples ready to pick, and will have pumpkins ready in October. In the summer, the farm also has peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. Currently, you can pick Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Grimes Golden, Red Delicious, and Shizuka.
If you would rather get a pre-picked apple, the farm market has Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Red Jonaprince, and Red Delicious available, in addition to apple butter, candles, and other home goods.
While the farm occasionally allows walk-in reservations, we highly recommend making an online reservation for a u-pick basket, which includes a wagon ride that transports you to the apple orchard. The farm also has an indoor play area for kids and a Back Porch Bar for adults, offering six different hard ciders on tap in addition to cider slushies with a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
There’s also a coffeehouse for those who prefer a nonalcoholic option. If you’re a foodie, then you’re also in luck because the site has several different restaurants and dessert options—Orchard Baking Co., Uncles Burgers, 1813 Smokehouse, and The Orchard Scoop.
Orchard Baking Co. has fresh apple cider doughnuts and Dutch apple pies, while The Orchard Scoop has several seasonal flavors and even ice cream floats made with cider. 1813 Smokehouse is the farm’s on-site barbecue restaurant, and you have to try the signature house barbecue sauce that features the farm’s cider and honey.
The farm also hosts live bluegrass concerts on the weekends during the late morning to early afternoon, and live Christmas jazz during the holiday season.
Mountain Fresh Orchards in Hendersonville
Mountain Fresh Orchards, another farm in Hendersonville, offers lots of family fun. The apple orchard has 17 types of apples, including classics and unique varieties, such as Ambrosia, Jonathan, Stayman/Winesap, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Arkansas Black, Cameo, Grimes Golden, and Jonagold.
If you liked Snow White growing up, you might be particularly taken aback by the Arkansas Black apple, which looks exactly like the type of apple the evil Queen used. It’s particularly great for baked goods and hard ciders. The only catch is that you will have to wait until October to pick one of these apples, along with the Pink Lady and Stayman/Winesap.
Luckily, most other apple varieties are ready to pick now. Stopping by the roadside market and bakery is a must, as there are a plethora of baked goods. Apple-infused options include fried pies, cider doughnuts, fritters, turnovers, bread, caramel cake, and hot mulled cider.
Several packaged apple-infused products are also available for sale, such as chilled apple cider, apple butter, applesauce, apple butter barbecue sauce, and apple crisp mix. If you have to watch your sugar levels, there are also several no-sugar options such as applesauce, apple pies, and turnovers. The farm stand has pumpkins, Indian corn, and other fall decorations available.
The standout feature at Mountain Fresh is the adorable Apple Express Train, which is a hit among kids. Once you buy a ticket, you can board the mini train and enjoy a scenic ride through the farm.
Perry Lowe Orchards in Moravian Falls
Just under an hour’s commute from Boone, Perry Lowe Orchards is a long-established apple orchard that has been in business for six generations. The 100-acre orchard has more than 30 types of apples, peaches, pears, and pumpkins. U-Pick apples are available on weekends through the end of September and into October.
Many classic varieties such as Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples should be ready now at Perry Lowe, as well as some more unique types such as the heirloom Rusty Coat and the hybrid Suncrisp developed by Rutgers University scientists. For a full list of ripe apple types, you can click on this link.
Perry Lowe Orchards takes cider seriously with four different varieties: fresh pasteurized apple cider, glass cider, canned sparkling cider, and hard cider.
The farm also offers hot apple cider doughnuts, fried apple pies, fritters, and its signature Pink Lady Apple Cider Slushie. Another unique specialty is their dried apples, which you can take home with you in a pre-packaged and sealed five-ounce bag.
Make sure to purchase tickets ahead of time using this link.
Carrigan Farms in Mooresville
Queen City area residents can rejoice hearing that there’s an apple orchard right around the corner in nearby Mooresville. Carrigan Farms, a fifth-generation farm, offers apple picking and several other U-Pick crops, including sunflowers, strawberries, asparagus, and pumpkins.
The farm is so popular that all of the orchard’s apples for September have sold out, but Carrigan farms expects to have more apples ready to pick in mid-October. Make sure to check back at the beginning of October and click the “Book Now” button to make sure you can reserve a spot. The weekdays also have availability for walk-in spots.
While the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples are gone, you can expect to pick Evercrisp and Gold Rush apples from the new orchard in October. William Carrigan, the farm’s owner, planted these apple trees in 2022, and it’s the first time the orchard is ready for apple-picking. Because they are young trees, Carrigan Farms asks visitors to be gentle when picking.
The apple-picking experience starts with a hayride to the orchard. Then, visitors get to pick a half-peck bag of apples, which typically holds five to six pounds. Afterward, you can even stop at a petting zoo. Near Halloween, you can book a “Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail” experience that entails a mile-long outdoor walking trail with tight spaces, special effects, dim areas, extensive sets, and professional actors hired to scare you.
Millstone Creek Orchards in Ramseur
For people in central North Carolina, there’s an orchard not too far from you in Ramseur, a town near Asheboro. Millstone Creek Orchards is roughly 30 miles from Greensboro, 56 miles from Winston-Salem, and 60 miles from Raleigh—making it much easier to fit apple-picking into a day trip.
The farm has five small apple orchards that have Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Aztec Fuji, Galarina, Pink Lady, Arkansas Black, and Gold Rush varieties. To book a U-Pick, click on this link. Later on in October and November, Millstone Creek also has pumpkin/gourd and pecan picking available, respectively.
The apple picking experience costs just under $20 per person and includes a hayride to the orchards where you get to pick a bag of apples, watch an apple cider press demonstration, drink apple cider slushies, and even fish at the farm’s catch-and-release fishing ponds. Fresh apple cider doughnuts are available every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and they come with a special cider dipping sauce that looks delectable.
The bakery, known as Granny’s Kitchen, also has wine cakes, apple cakes, carrot-pineapple cakes, banana bread, apple bread, pumpkin roll, fudge, and fruit turnovers. If you want a meal and hard cider to wash it down, then you should also stop by The Cider House, which has local cider, beer, and wines, in addition to elevated takes on bar food such as French Bread pizza and gourmet burgers.
As the saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” So maybe, apple-maxxing by picking a whole bag of apples can help your immune system as flu season approaches. Or, at least it can be an excuse to also enjoy all the sweet apple-infused treats and cider.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
