The fall season is upon us and just in time to enjoy fresh apples!
No matter what your apple taste is - apple turnovers, apple fritters, apple donuts, apple salsa, apple cinnamon muffins, apple cider, apple pie milkshakes, a dehydrated apple rings, or just to take a bite out of while in the orchard -- the season has come for fresh apples in the orchards!
Fun facts about apples:
- Red Delicious is the most widely grown in the USA.
- Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the USA.
- Apples are grown in all 50 states.
- 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the USA.
- If you ate an apple everyday, it would take close to 7 years to try each kind!
- Cox's Orange Pippin is an apple variety which dates back to 1830! It has a flavor that tastes nearly like orange Pez candy!
- Ohio is in the top 10 state for apple production.
- The average Joe/Jane eats about 10 pounds of apples per year.
- Your Consultative Insurance Group Team has put together their favorite apple orchards AND their favorite apple just for you!
Our Favorites Apple Orchards:
Vickie: "Sky Top in Flat Rock, NC is where we always go. I love to walk around and smell all the fritters and things cooking!"
Paul: "Mapleside Farms in Ohio for apples."
Vickie: "I pick my apples at Sam's Club!"
Tony: "It is a toss up! Two great places for apple picking are Sage's in Chardon, OH and Patterson's in Chesterland, OH. Both have very large farms with wagon rides and great tasting apples.
Maurica: "Justus Orchards in Hendersonville, NC; Chattooga Belle Farms in Long Creek, SC; or Granddads in Hendersonville, NC."
Bev: "Any orchard like Mapleside Farms, and my backyard before I moved!"
Beth: "In my opinion, the best place to go pick apples is Geigs Orchard in Seville, OH. They have a great variety and make their own Honeycrisp cider!"
Our Favorite Apple:
Mariela: "I like Honeycrisp: 1) Because it has two colors perfectly blended together; 2) Because it has the right balance of tart and sweet; 3) Because it really is crisp even after three days of non-refrigeration!"
Rachel: "Honeycrisp. Mary always brings in one apple and slices it up and shares with the office. It has a taste so sweet and juicy that makes you crave it."
Julie: "Pink Lady. It always has just the right amount of sweet combined with a little tartness."
Kindra: "Granny Smith. I love the tartness, and the pies are the best!"
Paul: "Honeycrisp...sweet and crispy."
Tony: "Apple Crisp...it's the sweetest."
Paula: "Currently my favorite apple is Honey Crisp. The name says it all--it is sweet and crisp. However, if we are talking about electronic devices, my favorite Apple is the Ipad Mini!"
Vickie: "Granny Smith -- I love them because they are so firm, crisp and not so sweet."
Bev: "Granny Smith to bake. Red Delicious to put in salads. Macintosh to eat."
Maurica: "My favorite is an early August apple - Zestar! or Minnewashta. It has a happy combination of tart and sweetness."
Beth: "HONEYCRISP!!! It is the perfect amount of sweetness and juiciness!"
One thing is for sure - if you were not sure where to go pick apples or what apples to look for, we certainly hope we have made it easier for you! Now it is up to you to find your special orchard and find your favorites!
Happy Fall!