Apples to Apples

This ecofoodie is getting married in a few short days, so my fiance and I have been working on putting together the perfect welcome baskets for our guests. After much hemming and hawing over various options, it dawned on us: what better way to say welcome to Massachusetts in September then some crisp, freshly picked apples?

So, this past Friday, we headed out to pick our own at Honeypot Hill Orchards, in Stow, MA. Yes, it is a little early in the season, but after the Labor Day weekend, there will be countless orchards open for picking. And, like Honeypot, many of them have a full menu of nostalgic fall activities, like hay rides and hedge mazes. A perfect afternoon whether you have kids, or you just want to feel like one again.

The best part, of course, is rewarding yourself after a few hours of hard labor. I've yet to find a sweet treat that quite matches the glory of a hot, fresh cider donut washed down with a little hot coffee. Only two of this half dozen made it past the ride home, and by the next morning there was only an empty bag and a few lone crumbs to testify to their delicious existence. Luckily, we still have a refrigerator full of Sansa and Ginger Gold apples, just waiting to be shared and enjoyed.

Not sure where to go for pick-your-own in your neck of the woods? Click here for a full listing of Mass orchards, and get out there while the getting is good!