Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Apple Season Going Strong

   Our apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, is going strong now until mid-Nov.  Many came to pick apples last Sat. and Sun. afternoon, and some have come each weekday since then.  Weekdays are good uncrowded times to pick apples, for those who are able to come then.
Many came to pick apples last weekend. Martha Cox and kids helped fill their wagon with apples, while Dad picks a few more.
   Our fall hours started on Sept. 1 and continue until Nov. 30, as the sidebar at left shows.  During this period, we are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays.  I appreciate phone messages a day or so ahead, letting me know when you're coming.  If you drop by and I don't see you come in, since I'm out harvesting apples, ring the bell on the sales building.
   Harvested apple prices are the same as last year: $1.21 per pound + tax for harvested #1 apples (practically perfect) and $0.83 per pound + tax for harvested #2 apples (with small cracks or other surface damage).  20 lbs. of harvested #1 apples cost $23.22 + tax, which saves $1.00.  20 lbs. of harvested #2 apples cost $15.79 + tax, which saves $1.00.  40 lbs. of harvested #1 apples cost $44.59 + tax ($1.11 per pound + tax ), which saves $4.00 off the per-pound price, and 40 lbs. of harvested #2 apples cost $29.73 + tax ($0.74 per pound + tax), which saves $4.00.
   Smaller amounts of pick-your-own apples are $0.93 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.70 per pound + tax for #2's.  For 40 lbs. or more total of pick-your-own apples, the price goes down to $0.88 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.65 per pound + tax for #2's.
The Hsu family had fun picking apples.
   We still have some 'Luscious' European pears for sale.  This variety, from South Dakota, is more cold-hardy then our other European pear varieties and we had a good crop of it.  We had no 'Blake's Pride' pears this year due to 23 F on April 15 during pear bloom, and only a very few 'Harrowsweet' pears, which are now sold out.  Asian pears have also sold out now.  Harvested pears are the same price as harvested apples.
   We still have some cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale for the next couple weeks, for $14.86 + tax per 5-lb. bag.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.  Lots of great recipes using apples and pecans are posted as Notes on the Brenda's Berries page on Facebook.
   We use plastic grocery sacks in different colors for pick-your-own apples, and appreciate it if customers can bring some clean, non-ripped, used bags.  Reusing is better for the environment than recycling.  We now have plenty of gray bags, but could use more white, tan, yellow or blue bags.  We also appreciate donations of cardboard flats, which we'll use next year during berry harvest. We  always like to have our peach boxes and berry containers returned for reuse when you come to get more fruit.
   For payment, we accept paper, not plastic, as the sidebar at left shows.  We take cash and checks, but NO debit cards or credit cards, so plan accordingly.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Pick-Your-Own Apple Season Has Begun

   Our main apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, has begun.  I've already harvested many 'Enterprise' apples and have them for sale, and there are still plenty of 'Enterprise' apples for pick-your-own customers.  'Enterprise' apples are sweet-tart, great for both fresh eating and baking, stay crisp and juicy for 6 to 8 months in a refrigerator, and are a favorite of many customers.
'Enterprise' apples (foreground) are ripening, so customers and I are harvesting them.  'GoldRush' apples in background will start ripening in mid-Oct.
   I'm also harvesting several other apple varieties, and several selections from my apple breeding program.  I use apple scab-immune varieties or selections as parents, and the gene for scab-immunity is dominant, so all progeny will also be immune to apple scab disease.  That means we don't have to spray for that disease, so scab-immune varieties need 33% fewer fungicide sprays than do scab-susceptible varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  This year I've named several apple selections, and have small amounts of these for sale.  I give taste samples of all pear and apple varieties and selections.
'Enterprise' apples (foreground) are a favorite of many customers.  The 2nd box holds 'Pink Sun', a selection from 'Sundance' open-pollinated that I named this year.  The 3rd box holds 'Sunrise', another selection from my apple breeding program that resulted from a cross of 'Jonafree' with 'Sundance'.
   We still have harvested 'Luscious' European pears and 'Shinko' Asian pears for sale, for the same price as harvested apples.  Scroll down to older posts for harvested and pick-your-own prices.
   We still have some cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale, for $14.86 + tax per 5-lb. bag.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.  Lots of great recipes using apples and pecans are posted as Notes on the Brenda's Berries page on Facebook.

'Sunset' is another selection from my apple breeding program that resulted from a cross of 'Sundance' and Coop 34.
   We're now open our fall hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays, until Nov. 30.  I appreciate phone messages letting me know when you're coming.  If you drop by and I don't see you come in, since I'm out harvesting apples or Asian pears, ring the bell on the sales building.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Many 'Luscious' Pears & 'Jonafree' Apples Harvested

   We've now finished harvesting the 'Luscious' European pears, and have about 620 pounds of them in our cooler, so we'll have them for sale for the next few weeks.  This variety, from South Dakota, is more cold-hardy then our other European pear varieties and we have a good crop of it.  'Blake's Pride', usually our next-ripening European pear, has no crop this year.  Our latest-ripening European pear, 'Harrowsweet', will have a very small crop in late Sept. to early Oct.  I've also harvested a few 'Shinko' Asian pears, and will harvest more of these until late Sept. or early Oct.
We now have many harvested 'Jonafree' apples (left), 'Luscious' European pears (center), and some of my apple crosses (right) for sale.
   Harvested pears are the same price as harvested apples.  Prices are the same as last year: $1.21 per pound + tax for harvested #1 apples or pears (practically perfect) and $0.83 per pound + tax for harvested #2 apples or pears (with small cracks or other damage).  20 lbs. of harvested #1 apples and/or pears cost $23.22 + tax, which saves $1.00.

   I've almost finished harvesting the 'Jonafree' apples, and have about 200 pounds of them in our cooler.  'Jonafree' is tart-sweet with a flavor similar to 'Jonathan', but earlier and immune to apple scab disease.  'Gala' is now sold out, but I'm starting to harvest other apple varieties and my crosses.  I give taste samples of all of these.
   The main apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, will start in late Sept. when many 'Enterprise' apples are ripe, and go until mid-late Nov.  We do have one 'Enterprise' tree which has apples that are ripening now, so if readers of this blog want to come pick your own apples this Thurs. Sept. 11 to Sat. Sept. 13, phone 620-597-2450 and leave a message letting me know when you're coming.  Scroll down 2 posts for pick-your-own apple prices.
We have one 'Enterprise' tree (right) which has apples that are ripening now, while most 'Enterprise' trees (left) are still a couple weeks away form the start of the pick-your-own apple season.
   We still have some cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale, for $14.86 + tax per 5-lb. bag.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.  Lots of great recipes using apples and pecans are posted as Notes on the Brenda's Berries page on Facebook.
   We're now open our fall hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays, until Nov. 30.  I appreciate phone messages letting me know when you're coming.  If you drop by and I don't see you come in, since I'm out harvesting apples or Asian pears, ring the bell on the sales building.
I can't always see or hear the driveway when I'm out harvesting Asian pears (photo) or apples, so phone ahead and leave a message letting me know when you're coming, or ring the bell on the sales building.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Early Apples, Pears & Crabapples Ripe

   We praise God we finally got a good soaking rain yesterday and today -- 6 inches total!  I was able to get out and harvest more apples late this morning.  We still have some early harvested apples for sale, of 'Gala' and 'Jonafree'.  This is the original 'Gala', mostly yellow with a small red blush, that's sweet, crunchy and rich-flavored.  'Jonafree' is tart-sweet with a flavor similar to 'Jonathan', but earlier and immune to apple scab disease.  We have limited amounts of harvested apples of these early varieties for sale now and for the next couple weeks, so call 620-597-2450 to order them and set a time to come get them.
   Scroll down to the previous post for apple prices.  The main apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, will start in very late Sept. and go until mid-Nov. 

'Luscious' European pears are ripening.  We have harvested pears for sale now and for the next few weeks.
   I started harvesting 'Luscious' European pears this afternoon.  This variety, from South Dakota, is more cold-hardy then our other European pear varieties and we have a good crop of it, now and for the next few weeks.  I also harvested a few 'Shinko' Asian pears today, and will harvest more of these until late Sept. or early Oct.  Harvested pears are the same price as harvested apples.
We have a few 'Shinko' Asian pears for sale now, and we'll harvest more of these until late Sept. or early Oct.
   'Dolgo' crabapples are also getting ripe. These are large crabapples that make a wonderful, spicy jelly. We sell some of these pick-your-own for the same price per pound as pick-your-own apples, but since crabapples are much smaller than apples, it doesn't cost much to pick enough to make a batch of jelly.  If you want to pick crabapples, call 620-597-2450 to let me know when you're coming.  Otherwise, I'll harvest them for Bill to make crabapple jelly.
'Dolgo' crabapples make a wonderful, spicy jelly.
    We still have some cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale for the next few weeks, for $14.86 + tax per 5-lb. bag.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.  Lots of great recipes using apples and pecans are posted as Notes on the Brenda's Berries page on Facebook.
   Our fall hours started on Mon. Sept. 1.  We're now open Mondays to Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays, until Nov. 30.  I appreciate phone messages letting me know when you're coming.  If you drop by and I don't see you come in, since I'm out harvesting pears, ring the bell on the sales building.
We're open our fall hours from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.