This October’s wealth of sunny, warm weather is bringing apple pickers out to Harvard’s orchards in droves. But on weekdays, the crowds thin, and the trees are still heavy with fruit. If you’ve never picked an apple before, there’s not much to learn. According to pickyourown.org, the best technique is to “roll the apple upwards off the branch, and give it a little twist.” If the apple comes off easily, it’s ripe. But orchardists know which varieties are ready to pick, and they’ll direct you to the trees of least resistance.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road, 978-456-3916
Pick-your-own Granny Smith, Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Evercrisp, Fuji, Ida Red, Jonagold, Macoun, McIntosh, Mutsu, Red Rome, and Red Delicious apples; check the Facebook page for the latest information on apple varieties ready to pick. In the store, Empire, Cortland, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Macoun, Mutsu, Northern Spy, and Honeycrisp apples, as well as utility bags of Cortland, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, and Macoun apples. Under the tent behind the store, Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, green and red peppers, summer squash, zucchini, pickling cucumbers, and winter squash including butternut, acorn, delicata, and spaghetti. Gourds and pumpkins, including white and mini-pumpkins for decoration, are also available. Store is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick-your-own hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road, 978-772-4139
Pick-your-own Fuji, McIntosh, Macoun, Cortland, Mutsu, Red and Yellow Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, and Empire apples. Check the website for the latest picking information. All of the pick-your-own varieties plus Honeycrisp are available at the stand, along with cider and honey. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Pick-your-own raspberries open
daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.—buy four pints, get one free. At the self-service farmstand on the porch: Certified organic fruit and vegetables, including apples, Asian pears, raspberries, arugula, baby kale, basil, beets, carrots, kale, leeks, lettuce, mesclun greens, and peppers, as well as the farm’s own raspberry jam. Stand is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the week, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue, 978-456-8363
Pick-your-own Macoun, Empire, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Cortland apples. At the store: Baldwin, Cortland, Empire, Gala, McIntosh, Macoun, and Roxbury Russet apples. Bartlett, Bosc, and Seckel pears, mixed plums, tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), kale, kale sprouts, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, romaine and red leaf lettuce, beets, regular and Japanese eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leeks, beets, regular and hot peppers, potatoes, onions, shallots, a mixed variety of winter squash, and mixed herbs. Pumpkins and gourds for decoration are also available. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pick-your-own hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
The farm is winding down; there might be some winter squash and a few small pumpkins by the weekend.
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted.
Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
