Food, Glorious Food: Apple Orchards
As September draws to a close, those last summer tomatoes and ears of sweet corn seem especially flavorful. Luckily autumn is ready to bring fresh apples and pumpkins to our table.
Look over the following list of lakeshore orchards and grab a bushel basket. Once you've brought home those pumpkins and apples, you may want to try one of the seasonal recipes you'll find here as well.
Allegan County
A.W. Overhiser Orchards
64th St & 109th Ave., South Haven, MI
Open through October, 9 am - 5 pm
Hayrides, apples, pumpkins
616-836-3298
Crane Orchards U-Pick
Fennville, MI
Open early Sept through late October
Hayrides, corn maze, over 2 dozen varieties of apples to pick
616-561-8651
Dee’s Lakeshore Farm
1672 70th Street, Lakeshore Dr., Fennville, MI
Open to November 1
Apples, pumpkins, honey
616-227-3287
Ever Green Lane Farm
1824 66th St., Fennville, MI
Open through October
Organic apples, cider
269-543-9900
McIntosh Apple Orchards
6431 107th Ave., South Haven, MI
Open through October
U-pick apples, cider
269-637-7922
Stephenson Farms
6783 Baseline Road, South Haven, MI
Open to December
Apples, cider, pumpkins, honey
269-637-4824
Harvest Loaf
1 3/4 cups Flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin - pure not pie filling
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
(Can triple the recipe to use a whole large can of pumpkin.)
Combine first 7 ingredients. Cream butter and sugar till light . Blend in eggs. Beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients Then stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan or muffin cups. Bake 350 50-60 minutes. Test with toothpick, invert onto wire rack, cool and either freeze or enjoy warm. (M.M.)
Berrien County
Calderwood Farms
2993 East Lemon Creek Road, Berrien Springs, MI
U-pick apples
269-471-2102
Frank Farms
8249 Dean Hill Road, Berrien Center, MI
Open through October
Apples, pumpkins
269-461-4125
Fruit Acres Farm Market & U-Pick
I-94 at Coloma Exit #39, Coloma, MI
Open to October 25
Apples, pumpkins, hayrides
269-468-3468
Nye’s Apple Barn & Farms
3151 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI
Open through October
Apples, pumpkins
269-429-5056
Sommerfeldt Farms
1091093 S. Benton Center Road, Benton Harbor, MI
Open through October
Pumpkins, winter squash
616-926-6959
Kent County
Fruit Ridge Hayrides
11966 Fruit Ridge Ave., Kent City, MI
Open through October
U-pick apples, pumpkins, hayrides, cider, corn maze
616-887-5052
Hilton’s Apple Acres
Caledonia, MI
Open to December
Apples, cider jams, U-pick pumpkins, haunted barn
616-891-8019
Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill
8540 Two Mile Road, Ada, MI
Apples, pumpkins
616-676-5584
Fried apples are truly American. In the South, they're a way of life, and every cook makes them their own way. When I married a man raised in eastern Kentucky, I took on the task of making fried apples as a challenge - my mother-in-law's were perfectly sweetened and delicious. I watched and learned my own way over time, but I believe the key is the type of apples you use.
My mother-in-law, Quincy Mims, preferred Northern Spy apples, which are tart but not sour like Granny Smith, and keep their shape better than MacIntosh or others. I generally don't measure the sugar or cinnamon - I believe every cook should decide how much sweetness and spice they need. But fried apples are good on *anything* - from waffles or pancakes, oatmeal or French toast for breakfast, as an every day or holiday side dish, and especially delicious over ice cream, cake, or by themselves with a crunchy almond cookie in hand.
Northern Spy Fried Apples
10-12 Northern Spy apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1/2 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon to taste
oil for the pan
In a heavy skillet, drizzle vegetable or corn oil to coat. Add sliced apples over medium heat and let them simmer - DO NOT COVER. Once they start getting softer, toss sugar in and stir. Add cinnamon until apples look dark - the apples should keep some shape and have a syrupy glaze to them. Serve warm or cold. (M.M.)
Ottawa County
Grand View Orchard
1118 Riley Street, Hudsonville, MI
Open til sold out
Apples
616-896-9218
Vander Mill
14921 Cleveland Street, Spring Lake, MI
Open to December
Seasonal cider
616-84-CIDER
Van Buren County
Apple A Day Farm
53392 38th Avenue, Bangor, MI
Open through October
U-pick apples
616-674-7127
Schem Lane Orchards and Farm Market
28110 County Road 215, Bangor, MI
Apples, cider
269-906-0816
October/November 2010