Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Apple Picking!

It's so nice to have the option of leaving the city.

The hustle and bustle can get to be a little bit much sometimes and I feel so lucky all the time that TT and I both have family so close that will take us in when we want to see a tree or sit on a couch not from IKEA.

Wednesday marked the first day of Fall so last weekend, true to form, we left the city to go start our fall activities. We drove upstate to Albany and went apple picking!


We pulled up to Indian Ladder Farms at around noon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day - no hint of fall in sight, really.

The farm was split across the main road. On the one side you could pay $11 for a 12 lb bag to fill with apples of your choice. On the other side, you were invited to stuff 25 lbs of hand-picked apples into a bag all your own for just $17.

Can you guess which one we chose?



Armed with 25 lb dreams, we set off into the wood.


There were three fields open to us. The Macoun, a cross between a Macintosh and Jersey Black, is enjoyed throughout its October/November season as a naturally sweet un-sweetened applesauce or the perfect accompaniment to a cheese and cracker tray. They were in the fields closest to the car park.

The Cortlandt, a few twists and turns away, were boasted to be your best bet for baking. I made a bee-line to stash a few of my own pretty quickly!

And "for the adventurous souls" who weren't afraid of going off for a bit of a search, the Gala apples awaited us in the far field. Gala apples are sometimes called "lunchbox apples" because they are small and sweet - a perfect snack for a kid (or adult!).


Also the perfect pick for a gala gehl such as myself.


We were also told they were best enjoyed fresh...



Don't have to tell him twice!

We picked and snacked our way through the three fields, tasting different trees to make sure we weren't missing out on the best ones.










After about an hour we were thoroughly exhausted. Can you tell?



Stuffed with apples, we tossed our bag into the car and headed over to the farmhouse to check out the cider donuts


Obviously making some new friends along the way!




What a day! Fall, I'm ready for ya.



Indian Ladder Farms is a bit of a trek but well worth the trip! They're about 3 hours north of the city and are open everyday, 9-5pm until October 26! Find directions here and any other info you might need here!