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.