Additions to the apple varieties available at local orchards this week include some courtesy of New York State. Empire, a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh, was developed at Cornell in the 1940s, and Macoun, a cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black, was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva in 1932. If you’re looking for something more local, there’s Roxbury Russet, America’s oldest cultivated apple variety. It was first grown in the 1600s in what was then the town of Roxbury, now a Boston neighborhood.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road
Pick-your-own apples 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Now picking McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, and Macoun; check Facebook or call as varieties may change. McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Macoun, Zestar, Cortland, Gala, Ginger Gold, and Paula Red apples and Bartlett pears available in the store, as well as Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, tomatoes, watermelons, green peppers, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, organic cherry tomatoes, winter squash, sugar pumpkins, mini pumpkins, and gourds. Large pumpkins from Wilson Farm in Lexington.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road
Pick-your-own apples 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; stand is open until 5 p.m. Now picking Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, and Ruby Mac apples. On the stand are all of the apple varieties currently being picked as well as Macoun and Empire, and pumpkins, gourds, and Doe’s own honey.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Raspberry picking Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Asian pears, fresh greens, jam, and a variety of vegetables at the self-service farmstand on the front porch. Apples are done. All crops certified organic by Baystate Certified .
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue
Pick-your-own apples daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the rest of the season; currently picking McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Empire. Pick-your-own pumpkins with wagon ride to the pumpkin patch on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the store, McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Roxbury Russet apples, Seckel, Bartlett, and Bosc pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupes, tomatoes, corn, leeks, bok choy, parsnips, cauliflower, lettuce, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, cabbage, carrots, beans, kale, summer squash, zucchini, beets, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, shallots, mixed herbs, a variety of cut flowers, pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, and gourds.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road
Corn (bicolor and yellow), some tomatoes, some peppers (sweet and hot), Green Mountain and Yukon Gold potatoes, winter squash, pumpkins, and gourds.
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted. Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
Apple information in first paragraph is from newenglandorchards.org and nyapplecountry.com.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
