Fall Hours Start Sept. 1

   Our fall hours, as shown in the sidebar at left, start tomorrow, on Sept. 1, and run through Nov. 30.  We're open our regular fall hours over Labor Day weekend.

Our fall hours, shown on the sign on our sales building, start Sept. 1 and go until Nov. 30..

   I'm usually out pruning raspberry canes or apple trees, 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 have no pear crop this year due to the April 16 freeze.  We still have some 'GoldRush' and 'Enterprise' apples, harvested in Nov. 2017 and kept in good condition in our coolers, for sale now.  This fall's 'GoldRush' crop doesn't start ripening until late Oct., and these apples are best after at least 1 month cold storage, so it will be Dec. or later before the 2018 'GoldRush' apples are really good to eat.  I still eat a 2017 'GoldRush' apple every day with my lunch.
   Small amounts of harvested #1 apples cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  A 20-lb. box of #1 apples costs $25.00 + tax ($1.25 per pound + tax), which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  A 20-lb. box of #1 'Enterprise' apples costs just $23.15 + tax, since these are getting to the end of their storage life.
   We have many 2nds apples, with small cracks, cork spots, hail damage, or other surface damage.  These are great for baking, slicing for salads, or for making applesauce or apple butter.  Usually 95% to 99% of each fruit is still usable, but they're 70% or less the cost, at $0.93 per pound + tax for less than 20 pounds and $0.88 per pound + tax for 20 pounds.  When you buy two or more boxes, each 20-lb. box of 2nds apples costs just $16.67 + tax ($0.83 per pound + tax), so that's $33.34 + tax  for 40 lbs. of 2nds apples.
   We still have about 22 bags of 'Kanza' pecans left to sell.  These are from the second 'Kanza' harvest in Jan. 2018, when Bill ran the mechanical pecan harvester over the ground again.  Each 4-pound pecan bag costs $16.67 + tax, and contains 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.   After these cracked pecans sell out, we'll have no more until mid-Nov. when the new pecan crop starts. 

After over 12 inches of rain in the past 17 days, water covered part of our pecan planting, and 95th St., last night.  Thankfully, water is off the road now.

   The 2018 pecan crop was reduced by the April 16 freeze, so we won't have as many bags of pecans to sell in 2018-2019 as we did in 2017-2018.  Also, we've gotten over 12 inches of rain in the last 17 days, when ideally we'd get that much rain over 84 days (12 weeks).  Pecan trees can withstand floods, which is why we planted them on our floodplain land, but standing water prevents the tree roots from getting enough oxygen, so nuts don't get as large if floods occur during the nut-sizing period from early Aug. to mid-Oct.
   We also have a small amount of a few early-ripening apple varieties, and some selections from my apple breeding program, which I harvest and have for sale.  I give taste samples.

I've harvested a very few of our earliest-ripening apples, 'Crimson Crisp' (left) and 'Sun Gala' (right), but most will ripen and be harvested in the first half of Sept. I sell these harvested only.

  Our pick-your-own apple season starts in late Sept., when the 'Enterprise' apples start ripening.  'Enterprise' apples will be most numerous for pick-your-own customers during the entire month of October.  We have many 2nds 'Enterprise' apples now, and some #1's, that are great for making apple pies, applesauce, apple butter or dried apples.
   For payment, we accept cash or checks (from any state); NO debit cards or credit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover what you'll buy.

Early Apples Ripening

   Our earliest-ripening apple varieties are starting to ripen, and I'll start harvesting some next week.  I harvest all the early apples because we only have a few trees of each variety, and because early-ripening apples tend to drop if not picked promptly when ripe.

An apple selection from my breeding program, 'Sun Gala' (left), and 'Crimson Crisp' (right) from the cooperative Purdue-Rutgers-University of Illinois breeding program, are starting to ripen now.  I'll start harvesting these next week.

   Our pick-your-own apple season starts in late Sept., when the 'Enterprise' apples start ripening.  'Enterprise' apples will be most numerous for pick-your-own customers during the entire month of October.  We have many 2nds 'Enterprise' apples now, and some #1's, that are great for making apple pies, applesauce, apple butter or dried apples.

I made this Apple Spice Cake last Sat. evening, using our 2nds 'GoldRush' apples and pecans, for a potluck lunch for a visiting missionary at our church on Sun. This cake can be left unfrosted and eaten as a breakfast coffeecake.

   We also still have some #1 'GoldRush' apples for sale now, and many 2nds apples.  Once they sell out, the fall 'GoldRush' crop doesn't start ripening until late Oct., and these apples are best after at least 1 month cold storage, so it will be Dec. or later before the 2018 'GoldRush' apples have the same quality as those we have for sale now.

I spread the cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting for a dessert for the potluck, as a birthday cake for our Pastor Andy Peterman, who turned 31 on Sun. Aug. 19. The cake and frosting recipes are posted as a Note on the Brendas Berries Facebook page.

   We also still have some pecans left to sell, from the second 'Kanza' harvest in Jan. 2018, when Bill ran the mechanical pecan harvester over the ground again.  After these cracked pecans sell out, we'll have no more until mid-Nov. when the new pecan crop starts.
   Apple and pecan prices are detailed in the July 28 blog post (scroll down or click on Older Posts).
   We're still open our summer hours, shown in the sidebar at left, until Aug. 31.  Since fewer customers are coming now, it's a good idea to phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message saying the day and about what time (during our open hours) you'll come, so I can look for you.  I have lots of weed control to do at this time of year (when it's not raining), and can't see or hear customers come in when I'm on the tractor if I'm not expecting you.
   From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, we're open our fall hours, shown in the sidebar at left.