There’s nothing quite like eating an apple picked fresh from a tree during the fall season. Whether you picnic at the orchard or bring your Bay Area bounty back to your NEMA San Francisco home to enjoy, here are a few spots to pick fresh-from-the-tree apples and recipes to make the most of them.
EARTHseed Farm at 3175 Sullivan Road in Sebastopol, 63 miles from NEMA.
Open by appointment only, the farm grows Gilbert Golden Delicious, Gala, Braeburn, Fuji and Rome apples. You can book an appointment to visit on a week-by-week basis. They release new appointments on Tuesdays prior to Saturday U-Pick days from 10am-4pm.
Rome apples make a mean batch of fried apple rings, classic baked apples, apple cake and apple dumplings.
Apple-a-Day Ratzlaff Ranch at 13128 Occidental Road in Sebastopol, 66 miles from NEMA.
The orchard raises apples and pears and make award winning Apple-A-Day apple juice. The juice/cider is made using 100% pure premium apples, absolutely nothing added - stock up on at least a few bottles to get you through the fall season. Apple varieties include Gravenstein, Golden Delicious and Rome apples. Open every day except Thursday & Saturday from 9am-4pm.
Serve up your juice/cider steaming hot and add a dash of cinnamon and clover paired with apple cider doughnuts.
Lucky You Orchards at 21611 Carrolton Ave. in Ripon, 84 miles from NEMA.
Pop over and pick organic crunchy and sweet Fuji u-pick apples, while you enjoy a scenic tractor ride and a lesson on apple farming in California. The u-pick season is expected to run until the end of October, when Lucky You will host a big Halloween bash to finish out the season’s harvest. Reservations aren’t required but are encouraged to guarantee your spot on the tractor. Open Saturday & Sunday from 9am-2pm.
Fuji apples are some of the sweetest of the sweet, and will make a delicious apple crisp, apple muffins, apple chips and apple spice cake.
Clearview Organic Orchards at 646 Trabing Road in Watsonville, 85 miles from NEMA.
Located only a few miles from the ocean in a beautiful, terraced setting. Clearview Orchards sells CCOF certified organic Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Mutsu apples. While you’re there, be sure to pick up local honey, fresh-pressed apple cider and at least a few fresh-baked apple turnovers. Make sure to grab some Fuji Apple Butter made from Fuji apples and the perfect spread for toast and muffins, or for use as a sweet ingredient in your favorite savory dish. Advance tickets required for entry. Open Saturday & Sunday from 10am-4pm.
These homemade applesauce, apple Meringue cupcakes, and apple-cinnamon pancakes recipes can be whipped up using several different apple varieties.
Image credit: https://appleadayranch.com/
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