There are no fewer than 21 varieties of apples at Harvard’s local orchards this week. It’s difficult for most of us to know which to bring home for a pie, a snack, or fuel for our cider-making operation in the basement. The following is a list of uses and tastes for all of this week’s local varieties.
Redfield and Wickson Crab (a crabapple) are used mainly for cider making. All of the remaining apples are good for eating fresh, and all but one (Red Delicious) are good for cooking. But the cooking apples are split into two groups—those that hold their shape during baking and those that don’t. The good bakers include Baldwin, Calville Blanc d’Hiver, Cortland, Evercrisp, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Golden Russet, Honeycrisp, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Jonaprince, Macoun, Pink Lady, and Roxbury Russet. The apples that fall apart during baking but work well for saucier applications are Fuji, Empire, Gala, McIntosh, and Red Jonathan.
As for flavors, most of this week’s varieties are a combination of sweet and tart. A few are considered mainly sweet, including Evercrisp, Fuji, Gala, and Golden Delicious, and two others, Calville Blanc d’Hiver (the experts’ choice for apple tarts) and Red Jonathan, are dubbed “aromatics” —apples that have a complex sweet, tart, and spicy flavor.
Some of these varieties will disappear as the season progresses, so if you want to taste them all or experiment with the perfect varietal mix for a pie, time to get busy.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road, 978-456-3916
Pick-your-own Evercrisp, McIntosh, Macoun, Cortland, Gala, and Red Delicious apples. Check Facebook for daily updates. Available in the store are McIntosh, Macoun, Cortland, Gala, Empire, and Honeycrisp apples, as well as Carlson’s apple cider (regular, Honeycrisp, and Gala). Also in the store are butternut, acorn, carnival, and spaghetti squash from Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, New Hampshire.
Store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; pick-your-own is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road, 978-772-4139
Pick-your-own Evercrisp, Pink Lady, Macoun, Fuji, Golden and Red Delicious, and Cortland apples. At the stand are most of the pick-your-own varieties along with Honeycrisp, McIntosh, and four heirlooms: Wickson Crab, Golden Russet, Calville Blanc d’Hiver, and Hubbardston Nonesuch. Many varieties of gourds and pumpkins are also at the stand, along with Box Mill Farm’s apple cider (with Doe’s apples in the mix).
Stand and pick-your-own are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays except holidays.
Good Spirits Farm, 106 East Bare Hill Road
At the self-service farmstand (and adjacent shed) this week: late-season raspberries, blackberries, (no-spray) Redfield cider apples, Kieffer pears (an American heirloom, good for baking and canning), winter squash, including acorn, butternut, delicata, and honeynut. Also: tomatoes, zucchini, Russian, Scotch, and Italian Lacinato kale; spinach; pattypan and crookneck squash. And the farm’s own dahlias, honey, jams, teas made with the farm’s dried herbs and wildflowers, lip balm, and hand cream. Fresh Chip-In Farm eggs in the fridge.
Self-serve stand is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
This will be the final weekend for the farmstand. There may still be pick-your-own raspberries, check the website. At the self-service stand on the front porch are tomatoes and peppers, honey, fruit jams, herbal teas, and nettle salt. The farm’s own fresh-pressed, unpasteurized apple cider might still be available.
The farmstand is open daily. Pick-your-own raspberries is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue, 978-456-8363
Pick-your-own apples; recommended varieties to pick are Empire, Macoun, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, McIntosh, and Cortland. Wagon rides to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch run on weekends. Available in the store: Empire, Baldwin, Macoun, Honeycrisp, Jonaprince, Red Jonathan, Gala, Roxbury Russet, Golden Russet, Golden Delicious, Ginger Gold, McIntosh, and Cortland apples; Bosc, Asian, and Bartlett pears. Also Westward’s own tomatoes (including heirloom and cherry), lettuce, kale, winter squash, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, beets, cabbage, carrots, mixed potatoes, mixed herbs, and apple cider from Bolton Orchards.
Store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pick-your-own apples is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Wagon rides to pick-your-own pumpkins, weekends only (final weekend will be Oct. 18-19), 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
From Cucurbit Farm in Acton: corn, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, Yukon gold potatoes, yellow and red onions, shallots, garlic, eggplant, winter squash (including butternut, honeynut, acorn, and delicata), pumpkins, mini pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, birdhouse gourds, and flowers. Box Mill Farm’s apple cider (made in Ayer using local apples) is in the refrigerator. Willard Farm’s gourds (large and small), white pumpkins, and large “Cinderella” pumpkins are also available.
Self-service stand is open daily.
All produce listed is Harvard grown unless otherwise noted.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
