APPLE VARIETIES AVAILABLE FOR U-PICK:

• GALA - September 1 to 20 - A newer variety that has wonderful qualities. Gala has a wonderful super sweet flavor with crisp, firm, juicy flesh. Gala stores well for months in refrigeration. Gala is great for eating or baking because the slices do not cook down hardly at all. Gala is one of my favorite pie and eating apples. The apple is pink in color with a longish shape for the size. 

• OZARK GOLD - September 1 to 20 - An older variety that reminds of a Golden Delicious apple with a slight tang. The apple looks very similar to a Golden Delicious with a small pink/red cheek. The flavor is sweet-tart and crisp, so it eats very well and bakes very well. I usually combine Gala and Ozark in my pies during this time of year. When baking, Ozark slices do keep their shape, but do soften. They make good applesauce and stores well until Thanksgiving.

• RED CORTLAND - September 10 to 30 - A very large size red color apple with pure white flesh. Just a newer red version of Cortland. The tart flavor is good for eating, applesauce or baking, although slices do soften during baking.

• EMPIRE - September 15 to October 5 - A tart but very flavorful, very crisp apple that stays hard for months in refrigeration. The apple is dark red with a squatty shape. Empire is great for eating or baking and the slices do not get soft. This is an older variety which does not get the attention it deserves!

• JONAGOLD - September 25 to October 15 - A very large, sweet tart flavor, crisp apple that is very juicy. The apple is pink, large and long. Do not store past Thanksgiving for best quality. Jonagold is great for eating, applesauce or baking but the slices do get soft. This is a redder version of a very old variety.

• RED DELICIOUS - September 25 to October 20 - I think everyone knows a Red Delicious apple. You only eat it, do not cook with it.

• GOLDEN DELICIOUS - October 1 to 31 - My favorite apple for eating until Christmas. It stores until spring in refrigeration. The apple is bright yellow, large size and long shape. Goldens are great for eating, applesauce and baking while the slices keep their shape. All winter, Golden Delicious is my favorite pie apple. In storage, the flavor stays sweet but the apple gets soft, but not too soft to enjoy.

• FUJI - October 15 to 31 - My favorite eating apple after Christmas because the flavor gets stronger and even sweeter but stays juicy. Fuji is great for baking but add any other apple, like Golden Delicious, because the slices will not get soft at all or release any juice. Fuji will easily stay very hard and extra sweet until taken out of refrigeration the next spring or after. This is the apple we save for our family and employees to eat all winter.

• Red Braeburn - October 15 to 31- Tart Hard Apple that keeps until January in the refrigerator. Good for Eating, and Baking. Will stay firm in baking.

These varieties and others are also available already picked at our farm market, including frozen apple slices and freshly made apple cider.

**Availability is dependent on the weather, so please call ahead to get a better idea on ripening times. Ripening dates

can vary as much as 2 weeks earlier or later from year to year.