Thursday, October 26, 2017

Frost Won't Hurt Apples

   We still have many 'Enterprise' apples for pick-your-own customers, for the next 10 days or so.  We also have many harvested 'Enterprise' apples for sale now, as my workers and I have harvested over 5000 pounds of them so far, and we have over 4200 pounds of 'Enterprise' apples in our two coolers now.  '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.
   We also have a few 'Sundance' and Coop 27 apples, available pick-your-own or harvested.  'Sundance' apples are tart-sweet, very crisp and juicy, and great for fresh eating or baking.  Coop 27 apples are mildly sweet-tart, good for both fresh eating and baking.  Both 'Sundance' and Coop 27 apples keep well in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 months.
   'GoldRush' apples have just started ripening, and I've harvested a few boxes of 'GoldRush' for sale.  Customers can pick their own 'GoldRush' apples from now to about Nov. 12.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in a refrigerator for 8 to 10 months, and do not reach peak flavor until at least one month in cold storage.  If eaten right after they were harvested, 'GoldRush' apples may still be tart and starchy.  While stored in our cooler or your refrigerator, starches convert into sugars, so 'GoldRush' apples get sweeter, and are my favorite apple to eat from Dec. to July.
This afternoon I harvested these bins of 'Enterprise' (red apples) and 'GoldRush' (yellow apples).  Tomorrow I will be in the sales building, sorting these bins of apples.
   A frost of 29 F is predicted for early Sat. morning Oct. 28, and 28 F is predicted for early Sun. morning Oct. 29.  This will not hurt the apples at all, but it will be too cold to pick apples on Fri. Oct. 27 and Sat. morning Oct. 28.  I will be in the sales building those days, sorting the apples we have harvested, and we'll have harvested apples for sale.  Good weather for pick-your-own apples should return on Sun. afternoon Oct. 29 and most of the next week.
   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 harvest apples into two plastic bags per box, so you can get a mixed box of one bag each of two varieties of apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   We also usually have some 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 62% to 69% the cost at $0.83 per pound + tax for less than 20 pounds, $0.79 per pound + tax for 20 pounds, and $0.74 per pound + tax for 40 pounds of harvested 2nds apples.
   Smaller amounts of pick-your-own apples are $0.93 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.69 per pound + tax for #2's (2nds).  For 40 lbs. or more total of #1 and #2 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.  Weekdays are good uncrowded times to pick apples, for those who are able to come then.
   From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 we're open our fall hours: open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., and Sundays 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  I'm usually out harvesting apples, so I put a sign on the sales building post to ring the bell for service.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it and come to the sales building.
   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.
   We're expecting a very good crop of pecans this year.  Many people have been asking when we'll have cracked pecans for sale.  Pecan harvest starts about the same time every year, in early Nov., after we have a hard freeze that advances opening of the shucks.  Once pecan harvest starts, the pecans have to be dried, then cleaned and cracked for sale.  We hope to have cracked pecans for sale starting about Nov. 14, as stated in the Fruit Harvest Seasons sidebar at left, and we should have them for sale until late June, when we sell out.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Many 'Enterprise', Some 'GoldRush' Apples Ripe Now

   Many 'Enterprise' apples, our main pick-your-own apple variety, are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 2 weeks.  Many customers have been picking 'Enterprise' apples, but the trees are still loaded with fruit.  We also have many harvested 'Enterprise' apples for sale now, as my workers and I have harvested a lot.  'Enterprise' apples keep well in our cooler or your refrigerator for 6 to 7 months, so we'll have them for sale for the next 6 months or so, until late April or early May.
We still have many 'Enterprise' apples for pick-your-own customers, plus many harvested 'Enterprise' apples for sale now.
   We also have a few 'Sundance' apples, available pick-your-own or harvested.  'GoldRush' apples have just started ripening, and I've harvested a few boxes of 'GoldRush' for sale.  Customers can pick their own 'GoldRush' apples from Oct. 20 to Nov. 12.  'GoldRush' apples keep well in our cooler or your refrigerator for 8 to 10 months, so we'll have them for sale for the next 8 months or so, until late June.
I've harvested a few mixed boxes of 'Enterprise' (red apples at left) and 'GoldRush' (yellow apples at right) for sale.  This box sold shortly after I took this photo, but I picked a couple more boxes this afternoon.
   'GoldRush' is a real storage apple, and does not reach its peak flavor until at least one month in cold storage.  If eaten right after they were harvested, 'GoldRush' apples may still be tart and starchy.  While stored in our cooler or your refrigerator, starches convert into sugars, so 'GoldRush' apples get sweeter, and are my favorite apple to eat from Dec. to July.  Other apple varieties do not get sweeter during cold storage.
'GoldRush' apples have just started ripening.  Customers can pick their own 'GoldRush' apples from Oct. 20 to Nov. 12.
   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.  I have plenty of white bags, but am very low on brown, yellow, gray and blue bags, so need those.  Reusing is better for the environment than recycling.  Please also bring back any peach boxes or berry containers you got from previous visits to Brenda's Berries & Orchards, so we can reuse them.  Thanks. 
   We finished harvesting 'Harrowsweet' European pears 2 weeks ago, and we now have six 20-pound boxes for sale, until we sell out.  This pear variety lives up to its name: it's very sweet.  We also still have a few boxes of 'Luscious' European pears for sale for the next few days.
   Prices for apples and pears are detailed in the Sept. 27 blog post (scroll down).
   We're now open our fall hours, from Sept. 1 to 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.  I'm usually out harvesting apples, so I put a sign on the sales building post to ring the bell for service.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it and come to the sales building.
   We're expecting a very good crop of pecans this year.  Many people have been asking when we'll have cracked pecans for sale.  Pecan harvest starts about the same time every year, in early Nov., after we have a hard freeze that advances opening of the shucks.  Once pecan harvest starts, the pecans have to be dried, then cleaned and cracked for sale.  We hope to have cracked pecans for sale starting about Nov. 14, as stated in the Fruit Harvest Seasons sidebar at left, and we should have them for sale until late June, when we sell out.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Many Pick-Your-Own & Harvested Apples Now

   Our pick-your-own apple season is going strong now, and runs until about Nov. 12.  This also our main apple season, when we have many harvested apples for sale.
The Martin family from Parsons, KS had fun picking their own 'Enterprise' apples this morning.
   Many 'Enterprise' apples, our main pick-your-own apple variety, are ripe now, and more will ripen over the next 3 weeks.  We also have a few 'Sundance' apples and Coop 27 apples available pick-your-own or harvested.  'GoldRush' apples will ripen from mid-Oct. to mid-Nov.
I harvest some mixed boxes of apples, such as Coop 27 apples (red apples on left) and 'Sundance' apples (yellow apples on right), which some customers love.  I give taste samples.
   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.  I have plenty of white bags, but am very low on brown, yellow, gray and blue bags, so need those.  Reusing is better for the environment than recycling.  Please also bring back any peach boxes or berry containers you got from previous visits to Brenda's Berries & Orchards, so we can reuse them.  Thanks. 
   We finished harvesting 'Harrowsweet' European pears 3 days ago, and we now have 14 20-pound boxes for sale, until we sell out.  This pear variety lives up to its name: it's very sweet.  We also still have some 'Luscious' European pears in our cooler, ready to sell, for the next week or so.
   I finished harvesting 'Shinko' Asian pears 4 weeks ago, and we now have four 20-pound boxes for sale, until we sell out.  Asian pears are shaped like apples, stay crisp like apples, and are very juicy and sweet.  They're mostly for fresh eating, though some customers make Asian pears preserves.
   We also have a few fall red raspberries now, sold pick-your-own only.  More fall red raspberries ripen each day until the first fall freeze in mid-late Oct., so you can often pick a few pints of raspberries if you ask about them.
   Prices for apples, pears and raspberries are detailed in the previous blog post (scroll down).
   We're now open our fall hours, from Sept. 1 to 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.  I'm usually out harvesting apples, so I put a sign on the sales building post to ring the bell for service.  Ring it loudly, once or twice, and I'll hear it and come to the sales building.