By Susan Gale
For me as a child, there was nothing better than running through apple fields wearing my favorite sweater and climbing on low-hanging tree limbs to get the reddest apples that were higher up.
You probably weren’t supposed to climb the trees but magically, we never got in trouble for reaching for that perfect apple.
I grew up going apple picking every fall in Rhode Island. It was a major tradition for us, which created fond childhood memories and brought us closer as a family.
Of course, you sample the merchandise as you pick your apples – that’s a tradition too. Then you go on a hayride – often with big beautiful horses that you can meet and pet.
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Many orchards offer dwarf trees which are perfect for younger children and there are plenty of apples on the ground, known as drops, that are sometimes sold at a lower price. Other orchards may use these drops to make the best cider you’ve ever tasted.
You gather your apples in rickety wooden crates and haul them back to the front of the field where the farmer weighs them. You pay by the pound, making sure to get enough apples to bake all your pies and crumbles for the fall season while also leaving plenty to eat on their own.
On your way out, you choose a pumpkin or two right from the field.
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Picking your own apples in Rhode Island
Rhode Island offers more than 30 farms where you can pick your own apples, pumpkins, berries, and other fruit throughout the summer and fall. If you need a few new recipes for those apples, check out this cookbook, The New England Orchards Cookbook, which is written by RI-based writer Linda Beaulieu, an award-winning food and travel writer.
Beaulieu’s cookbook lists orchards around New England plus recipes right from the farms. You can read an article that Beaulieu wrote for Kidoinfo.com about her orchards cookbook.
She is also the author of The Providence & Rhode Island Cookbook and the Providence and Rhode Island Chef ’s Table.
And don’t foget to check out Kidoinfo.com’s Calendar of Events and 150+ Things to Do With Kids in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. These two resources will make sure your fall is fun and memorable!
Susan Gale is the CEO of Gale Force Communications and Publisher of Kidoinfo.com.
