Go apple picking

Apple picking takes about half a day once you count the drive, the walk out to the rows and the stop at the farm stand on the way back. It works best with a small group, and it is cheap: most farms charge by the bag or by weight, so the cost is mostly what you decide to carry home.

Apple picking season: when and where to go

Apple picking season runs through much of fall, but it is not one date. Apples ripen over several weeks, and each variety has its own window. Early in the season you will find the first sweet-tart apples. Later in autumn the firm, keeping apples such as Fuji and Pink Lady come in. A farm’s website or social page usually says which rows are open that week, and it is worth checking, because a row that was full last weekend can be bare today.

Go early in the day if you can. Weekend afternoons are the busiest, the nearest trees get picked over first, and the best fruit is usually a few rows further in. Weekdays are quieter. If your Saturdays are full, a weekday late afternoon works too, as long as you check when the orchard closes.

Many farms limit which trees are open and ask you to stay in the marked rows. Follow that. It keeps the orchard working for everyone who comes after you.

How to pick

1. Taste one first. Many orchards will let you try an apple before you start filling a bag, and it tells you whether this row is sweet, tart or somewhere in between.
2. Look for apples with good colour and no soft spots. A ripe apple should feel firm.
3. Cup the apple in your palm, lift it upwards and twist. It should come off easily, stem and all.
4. Place it in the bag instead of dropping it. Apples bruise more easily than they look.
5. Skip apples on the ground. They are usually bruised and often have wasps on them.

If a ladder is provided, use it the way the farm explains, with both feet planted and one hand free. Do not climb into the tree itself.

What to wear and bring beyond the list

You already have the basics: shoes that can get muddy, a tote or two and a little cash. A few more small things help:

• Layers. Orchards are often breezy, and a sunny afternoon turns cold quickly.
• Long sleeves or a thin jacket, for branches and for wasps that you will not want to fight with bare arms.
• Water, and a snack if the farm stand is far from the rows.
• A hat, if the sun is out.
• Wipes or a small towel. Apples, mud and sticky hands go together.

Wasps and bees are common around orchards in autumn, especially near fallen fruit. They are rarely interested in you. Move slowly, do not swat, and walk away if one lands on you.

What goes wrong

• The bag is heavier than expected. Apples add up fast. A farm bag of apples can weigh several pounds, and carrying it a long way gets tiring. Fill it slowly, and bring a friend to share the load.
• You pick too many. Decide before you start how many you will realistically eat or cook with. You can always buy more later.
• They are soft by next week. Keep picked apples cool, out of the sun in the car, and sort out anything with a bruise before storing the rest.
• The row you wanted is closed. Ask at the stand where the best picking is today. Staff usually know.

What to do with a bag of apples

Eat the best ones fresh. Then use the rest:

• Bake an apple crisp or an apple pie.
• Make applesauce, which is the easiest way to use up a lot of apples at once.
• Dip a few into caramel, a good use for smaller apples.
• Slice some thin and eat them with cheese.

A farm bag of apples is a long project, not a single dinner, and that is part of the pleasure. Fresh from the orchard, apples have no shop wax on them, so you only need to rinse them.

Make it a fall evening

Pick in the afternoon, buy a warm cider donut from the farm stand, and get home in time to start a pot of applesauce while the light goes. Put the best apple on the windowsill, since it will probably still be there tomorrow.