Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Have a Joyful Christmas!

   We still have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale now and for the next 6 months or so, until late June.  'Enterprise' apples are sweet-tart, crisp and juicy, great for fresh eating and for making pies, applesauce, apple butter, etc.  They keep well in a refrigerator for 6 to 7 months.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in a refrigerator for 8 to 10 months, and get sweeter after at least one month in cold storage, as starches convert into sugars.
We still have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale now and for the next 6 months or so, until late June.  Order some by phoning 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leaving a message on the answering machine.
   Small amounts of harvested apples cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of apples costs $25.00 + tax, which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  I sort apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag each of  'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   We also have many harvested 2nds apples, with small cracks or hail damage, great for baking or for making applesauce or apple butter.  Usually 90% to 98% of the fruit is still usable, but they're 70% the cost at $0.93 per pound + tax for less than 20 pounds and $0.88 per pound + tax for 20 pounds or more of harvested 2nds apples.
   We'll have cracked pecans for sale until we sell out, probably till late Jan. or early Feb.  We sell pecans in 4-pound bags.  These pecan bags contain at least 75% pecan kernels, so you get the equivalent of at least 6 pounds of in-shell pecans in each bag.  These pecans are very fast and easy for customers to pick out, and when you pick out the pecans, you get over 3 pounds of nutmeats per bag.
   We still have 4 bags of large papershell pecans from Bill's pecan breeding program for saleBill just started cracking 'Lakota' pecans, and when those have sold he'll crack our last pecan variety, 'Pawnee'.  'Lakota' has large papershell pecans, and 'Pawnee' has very large papershell pecans. The price on pecans is now $16.67 per 4-pound bag + sales tax.
These cracked 'Lakota' pecans are over 80% pecan kernels, so you get over 3.2 pounds of nutmeats per 4-pound bag, and they're very fast and easy to pick out.
   Many recipes featuring apples and pecans are posted as Notes on our Facebook page, Brendas Berries.  Many are great for holiday gatherings or gifts.
   Please remember, since there is no phone line to the sales building, we do not have a card reader.  So we can NOT accept credit cards or debit cards for payment.  We accept cash and checks from any state, so please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of food you want to buy.  Thanks.
   From Dec. 1 to May 31, we're open by appointment.  That means, during Dec. to May, to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on the answering machine with your name, the crops you want, and the day and time you're coming.  The phone rings in the house, and I'll get your message when I come in from working in the the sales building or orchard.  Then I'll meet you in the sales building when you arrive here.
   We'll be closed on
Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 for Christmas, but open every other day by appointment.  You can make an appointment for between 9:00 and 11:45 a.m. or between 1:00 and 5:15 p.m. Mon. to Sat., and between 1:30 and 5:15 p.m. Sundays.  We're closed every Sunday morning, year-round, for church.
   Have a joyful Christmas, praising God that He became one of us and is with us!

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Apples & Pecans Great for Holiday Baking

  We still have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale now and for the next 6 months or so, until late June.  'Enterprise' apples are sweet-tart, crisp and juicy, great for fresh eating and for making pies, applesauce, apple butter, etc.  They keep well in a refrigerator for 6 to 7 months.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in a refrigerator for 8 to 10 months, and get sweeter after at least one month in cold storage, as starches convert into sugars.  I give taste samples.
I pack some 20-pound boxes of mixed 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples (far left), some of all 'Enterprise' apples (center) and some of all 'GoldRush' apples (right).  I also weigh out smaller amounts for those who want them.
   Many people have been buying pecans, so we'll have cracked pecans for sale until we sell out, probably till late Jan. or early Feb.  We sell pecans in 4-pound bags.  These pecan bags contain at least 75% pecan kernels, so you get the equivalent of at least 6 pounds of in-shell pecans in each bag.  These pecans are very fast and easy for customers to pick out, and when you pick out the pecans, you get at least 3 pounds of nutmeats per bag.
   We still have about 30 bags of large papershell pecans from Bill's pecan breeding program, for sale for the next few days, at the price detailed in the previous blog post (scroll down).  We finished selling all our 'Kanza' pecans 2 weeks ago.  After the pecans from Bill's pecan breeding program
sell out, Bill will start cracking our last 2 pecan varieties, 'Lakota' and 'Pawnee'.
   'Lakota' and 'Pawnee' are very large papershell pecans, so the price on these varieties will be $16.67 per 4-pound bag + sales tax. When you pick out these pecans, you again get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats per bag.
   Many recipes featuring apples and pecans are posted as Notes on our Facebook page, Brendas Berries.  Many are great for holiday gatherings or gifts.  
I made this Healthy Apple Salad, featuring our homegrown apples and pecans, for a potluck at church this past Sunday, and it all got eaten.  The recipe is posted as a Note on our Facebook page, Brendas Berries.
   From Dec. 1 to May 31, as the sidebar at left says, we're open by appointment.  That means, during Dec. to May, to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on the answering machine with your name, the crops you want, and the day and time you're coming.  The phone rings in the house, and I'll get your message when I come in from working in the orchard or the sales building.  Then I'll meet you in the sales building when you arrive here.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Still Many Apples & Pecans for Sale

   Today started our winter & spring hours.  From Dec. 1 to May 31, as the sidebar at left says, we're open by appointment.  That means, during Dec. to May, to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on the answering machine with your name, the crops you want, and the day and time you're coming.  The phone rings in the house, and I'll get your message when I come in from working in the orchard or the sales building.  Then I'll meet you in the sales building when you arrive here.
Our winter & spring hours, by appointment, began today and go until May 31.
   We have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale now and for the next 7 months or so, until late June.  Small amounts of harvested apples cost $1.20 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of apples costs $23.15 + tax, which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  I sort apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag each of  'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
A mixed box of one bag each of  'Enterprise' (left) and 'GoldRush' (right) apples is very popular.
   We also have many harvested 2nds apples, with small cracks or hail damage, great for baking or for making applesauce or apple butter.  Usually 90% to 98% of the fruit is still usable, but they're 69% the cost at $0.83 per pound + tax for less than 20 pounds and $0.79 per pound + tax for 20 pounds or more of harvested 2nds apples.
   Pecans cost $15.28 + tax per 4-pound bag.  These pecan bags contain at least 75% pecan kernels, so you get the equivalent of at least 6 pounds of in-shell pecans in each bag.  These pecans are very fast and easy for customers to pick out, and when you pick out the pecans, you get at least 3 pounds of nutmeats.
The pecans we're selling now, from Bill's pecan breeding program, are large, papershell pecans.
   For payment, we accept cash or checks, but NO credit cards or debit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of apples and pecans you'll buy.  Thanks.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Praise God for Bountiful Harvests

   Our workers and I finished harvesting all remaining 'Enterprise' apples 10 days ago, and we now have over 8000 pounds of harvested 'Enterprise' apples in our two coolers.  Our workers and I harvested many 'GoldRush' apples over the past few days, and we'll finish harvesting the rest of the 'GoldRush' apples this Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Right now we have over 2000 pounds of harvested 'GoldRush' apples in our coolers, and we should have over 3000 pounds of 'GoldRush' apples once harvest is complete.
Our large storage cooler is now almost filled with bins of harvested 'Enterprise' apples (red apples at left) and 'Goldrush' apples (yellow apples at right).  I sort apples from these bins into trays for sale all winter and spring. 'GoldRush' apples 'GoldRush' apples
   All winter and spring I
sort the apples we have harvested into trays of #1 apples (practically perfect) and #2 apples with some cracks, hail damage, cork spot, or other surface damage.  The #2 apples are great for baking or for making applesauce or apple butter.  Over the past few days, #1 apples are selling as fast as I get them sorted, but we have a good supply of #2 apples. 
I sorted apples from bins into trays for sale all day today.  It was 38 F inside the sales building when I started this morning (and 23 F outside), so I need to dress warmly.he sales building
   We'll have many harvested 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples for sale for the next 7 months or so, until late June.  'Enterprise' apples are sweet-tart, crisp and juicy, great for fresh eating and for making pies, applesauce, apple butter, etc.  They keep well in a refrigerator for 6 to 7 months.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in a refrigerator for 8 to 10 months, and get sweeter after at least one month in cold storage, as starches convert into sugars.
My husband Bill spends many hours running our pecan cracking machine. The pecans are cracked on the far right of the machine, then Bill picks out any damaged pecans as they go up the conveyor belt.  Most of the loose shells are blown off and go into the blue bin at left, while cracked pecans fall into the yellow bucket.
   We've finished harvesting pecans now, and my husband Bill is very busy cleaning and cracking the pecans for sale.  We now have cracked 'Kanza' pecans for sale.  We should have cracked pecans for sale until late April to May.
Our cracked 'Kanza' pecan bags contain over 75% nutmeats and less than 25% shells, since most of the shell fragments were blown off by our high-efficiency pecan cracking machine.
   Apple and pecan prices are detailed on our price sheets and in the previous blog post (scroll down).
   We're still open our fall hours until Nov. 30: open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., and Sundays 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. From Dec. 1 to May 31, as the sidebar at left says, we're open by appointment.  That means, during Dec. to May, to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on the answering machine with your name, the crops you want, and the day and time you're coming. The phone rings in the house, and I'll get your message when I come in from working in the orchard or the sales building.  Then I'll meet you in the sales building when you arrive here.
   We're open our regular fall hours over Thanksgiving weekend (Fri. Nov. 24 to Sun. Nov 26).  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, praising God for the bounty He provides and for sending us our Savior Jesus.