Before the season ends, let’s go…!!

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone apple-picking, and just as long since I’ve been to Bellewood Acres. Versu and I promised each other we would try to get out of the house more, and this was my choice for the week.

We had a later start than intended, but since we went during the weekday there weren’t many others picking apples. After switching into our boots, we went to purchase a U-Pick bag at the main building.

Hold up! What’s all this about? For those that may not be familiar, U-Pick farms are really popular in the Pacific Northwest (and maybe elsewhere, too, but I don’t live there!). They’re a great way to learn about farming, harvesting, and also what’s currently in season. Typically U-Pick farms are free entry, and you can harvest as much as you want and pay by the lb, OR you can purchase a container of theirs for a one-time fee. Over the years I’ve been thinking of the months not just by their name, but by the fruits and vegetables that are ripe for the picking. Same with flower festivals! I love flower festivals so much. If that sort of thing sounds enticing or even vaguely piques your interest, I highly recommend seeing if there’s a U-Pick farm near you.

The lady at the front desk was a bit hesitant when we came up. It was late in the season for Honeycrisps, she told us. “They’re not at their best anymore, and certainly not their snappiest.” She gestured a firm, hard bite of an invisible apple in her hand. I couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for the conversation — you can really feel a sense of pride and love that the Bellewood Farm has for their apples. We weren’t bothered at all, it was more the experience and showing Versu something I remembered very fondly from many years ago. What I was a little worried about was whether or not their Orin apples were ripe. From my memory, they had a soft sweetness to them, completely different from what you might typically expect from a green apple (such as Granny Smith, etc). I remember being enamored with them, and had hoped I could pick some to see if I still thought they were the bee’s knees. To my relief, they were one of the varieties she marked on the map and recommened! We picked up a bag and a map and set off to the orchards.

Most of the other patrons were children on a field trip, and a few families here and there. It was so quiet.

The crisp October air was refreshing, and I could feel myself relaxing with every step. This week was particularly stressful, so I’m happy we kept our promise to each other.

I wanted to take the tractor wagon with Versu, but it was reserved for the school field trip happening at the time.

I also wanted to show Versu the corn cannon that I remember very fondly of, but it didn’t seem like they had that this year. Maybe for the best…

We were recommended to pick the Cosmic Crisps (left) and Sonatas (right), as they were at their peak ripeness.

We started picking apples at the very end of the row before realizing all of the good apples were further down in the middle… oops.

The Orin apples were further in the back. I was worried that there was a chance I was misremembering the flavor (and how much I liked them), so we picked a modest amount.

When we got to the rows of Sonata apples, the sun started coming out more and more. It set the apple leaves aglow and illuminated the pinkish red hues of the Sonatas so beautifully. The only way to describe it really is that it made my heart feel so light.

The bag was getting heavier and heavier, so we alternated carrying it. We thought about picking apples to the brim, but the weight was, well, weighing us down lol.

I didn’t notice walking in but there were blueberry bushes to the side of the path.

I love their small, but so vibrant leaves.

On our walk back, George Strait’s “Troubadour” started playing softly from the main building’s speakers. It’s my favorite George Strait song, and I couldn’t help but (very, very quietly) sing along.

The Ten Mile Cafe at the main building was still open, so we split some chicken strips and a chicken apple curry soup. The soup was not too bad! The apples soaked up the curry flavor, which was light and not overpowering by any means. We recently found out that apples are often used in japanese curry as a sweetener, and that it was also more popular in the 70s in general. What stole the show, however, was their apple frosted slushie. Good lord, was that divine. It was so delicious and refreshing that we ended up getting a second one for the road LOL!

After lunch, we purchased a ceramic bowl, a small bouquet of flowers, and two of their frozen, handmade pies (chicken pot pie and a peach crumble!). Chicken pot pie is one of my fondest family comfort foods, and we were looking forward to trying it.

The early morning and the long walk through the orchard was catching up to us, though, so we drove back home after we finished eating.

The drive home was breathtaking. The trees exploded with orange, bursting out between the evergreens.

Some things I learned today:

Orange Pippin

A very handy website database for all sorts of varieties of apples, plums, pears, cherries, and so on. Fruit enthusiasts even leave reviews and personal stories on dedicated pages! –> orangepippin.org

PickYourOwn.org

An educational website database that helps people locate a U-Pick Farm in their county. You can search by state or by crop, and there are tips on canning, freezing, and charts/calendars that show when crops are at their best. –> pickyourown.org

Thank you for reading!