Fall 2014: Where to Pick Your Own Apples in Northern Virginia

Next Tuesday is the first day of autumn. Along with cooler weather on the horizon, thoughts turn to weekends watching football, making your own hearty soups, raking leaves and a fun outing to one of Virginia’s nearby apple orchards.

What are you going to do with all those apples? You can eat them for snacks, tuck one into your little one’s lunchbox or bake a pie or cake or make caramel apples. A day in an apple orchard is a great way to welcome the new season.

What kind of apple should you pick? It might depend on what’s available at the orchard you visit, but here’s a little information on different varieties:

Fuji are the best apples if you’ve got limited refrigerator space because you can store Fujis in your basement or your garage. They are slow to ripen so are best picked mid to late October.

On the other end of the apple spectrum are the Gala apples. Great for pies, sauces, eating and baking, they will only last a few weeks and need to be refrigerated. Because they ripen so early, they are at their prime from mid August to early September.

If you’re looking for good September apple picking, your best bets are: Macintosh, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Jonalicious, Cortland and Red Delicious. Want to make a superb apple pie? Go for the hard York apples because they’ll keep their shape in pies.

Patch recommends you call the orchard before heading out on your picking pilgrimage to be sure the apples you’re hoping to enjoy are ready for the picking.

Stribling Orchard, Markham, VA
www. striblingorchard.com/
Phone: 540-364-3040

Stribling Orchard is in its sixth generation operating in Markham, VA. In the fall, they have apples and pumpkins, as well as local honey and cider. The orchard and farm are open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. An on-site bakery is open every weekend.

Hartland Orchard, Markham, VA
www.hartlandorchard.com
Phone: 540-364-2316
3064 Hartland Lane
Markham, VA 22643

Hartland Orchards is an old family farm open from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily that has more than just apples (including honey, pumpkins and Christmas trees later this fall). There are special admission deals for military, fire/rescue personnel and others—check the website for more information.

Hollins Farms, Delaplane, VA
www.hollinfarms.com
Phone: 540-592-3574
1408 Snowden Road
Delaplane, VA 20144
Hollin Farms is a four-generation family farm next to Sky Meadows State Park in Fauquier County. The farm also has a 10-acre pumpkin patch and dig-your-own potatoes and peanuts.

Mackintosh Fruit Farm, Berryville, VA
www.mackintoshfruitfarm.com
Phone: (540) 955-2161
608 Russell Road
Berryville, VA 22611
Mackintosh (with a “K”) Fruit Farm is a family owned farm in the Northern Shenandoah Valley in Clarke County open daily from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Almost all of their fruits and vegetables are available as pick-your-own and the farm includes plenty of walking trails, too. Fresh pressed cider is available starting Oct. 1.

Crooked Run Orchard, Purcellville, VA
www.crookedrunorchard.com
Phone: (540) 338-6642
37883 E. Main Street
Purcellville, VA 20132
This is an automated phone line that will have the latest picking information. They are open weekends only, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and have a wide variety of apples and pears for eating or canning.