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We are fortunate to live in an area with so many wonderful apples -- and so many wonderful apple orchards. |
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We are fortunate to live in an area with so many wonderful apples -- and so many wonderful apple orchards.Just ask Robert Black. A passion for apples is readily apparent in his voice -- he starts out a little shy, but once he gets going on the subject of apples, his passion becomes infectious. Black and his family run Catoctin Mountain Orchard in Thurmont ; he's a second generation family farmer whose life in October centers on apples. "It has been a very good apple season. Cooler weather meant more color on the apples. The flavor is very good -- we had enough rain, but not too much," he explained. The orchard's trees lie near the retail market on property, where over a dozen varieties of apples are raised and sold. Indeed, this is a great time to visit a local apple farm. Area orchards entice with seasonal activities such as hayrides and corn mazes, and some of the markets sell products like baked goods, applesauce, cider and butters made from the apples on property. Richard Masser at Scenic View Orchards in Sabillasville, also reported a great apple season this year. The Scenic View orchard was started in 1981, but the property has been owned by the same family for seven generations. Masser rattled off more than 10 varieties of apples currently available on his farm and at the many markets in the area where he sells his products. Here are some of the varieties available locally right now: --Gala: Black's galas are so sweet, he adds them to applesauce instead of using sugar in his recipes.--Stayman and Cortland: Masser appreciates these tart apples for a refreshing snack or for baking. Black referred to the Cortland apple as the "Maryland Macintosh."--Red and golden delicious: "Some of the newer strains are chosen for color, not taste, but our red delicious apples have old-time flavor," says Black. Eat these apples fresh as they tend to become mushy when cooked.--Fuji, Jonagold and Nittany: good for baking in pies and dumplings.--Pink Lady: one of the last apples to ripen. They are notable for their crisp texture and blushy good looks.To store apples Black recommends keeping them refrigerated in a plastic bag with the top folded closed. "Frost-free refrigerators tend to dehydrate everything. The inside of the plastic bag may get a little wet, but that's ok. Apples are breathing just like we are. Keep them cold in a bag and they should keep for a month or longer." Black even uses a storage facility near Gettysburg, Pa., to make his apples available nearly year-round. The facility stores the apples in a sealed room with extremely low oxygen circulation. "In storage, the apples hibernate -- their breathing slows down. When we open the farm store after our annual closure in May, these apples are still fresh and crisp." Catoctin Mountain Orchards opened the 2009 season with wintered Pink Lady and Fuji apples from last season; the Fuji apples only ran out in August. What to do with all the apples in season right now? There are some great ideas in the Apple Challenge sponsored by Grown in Frederick (http://growninfrederick.blogspot.com/). There are traditional recipes like applesauce, apple pies and apple dumplings. Black suggested pan-frying apples to serve as a side dish: slice, add butter and brown sugar and cook gently; or slice and saut? apples with onions and cabbage and use it as a bed for roasted pork with mustard. A farmer friend of mine recently gave me three cases of apple seconds. In order to preserve the windfall quickly, I made applesauce -- about 10 gallons total -- over the course of a week. Real applesauce freezes wonderfully and is great on its own, stirred into dishes like Stamppot, dolloped atop potato pancakes, or turned into a jammy filling for cookies and cobblers. I simply peeled and cut out the dark spots from these apples before dicing them and pitching them into a giant kettle. I added about 2 cups of apple cider to get the apples to start cooking down, covered the kettle, and brought the apples to a boil over high heat. I boiled the sauce with the lid on for about 30 minutes, stirring periodically. I then gave the sauce another half-hour at a slower simmer without the lid. The resulting sauce is chunky and sweet without added sugar. It can easily be spiked with cinnamon or other spices if desired and is delicious hot or cold. Apples are currently available from the following farms: Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 North Franklinville Road, Thurmont http://www.catoctinmountainorchard.com Has an on-site market and orchard. Also sells baked goods made with apples. Scenic View Orchards, 16239 Sabillasville Road, Sabillasville http://www.scenicvieworchards.com Has an on-site market and orchard. Also sells at both the Thursday Shab Row and Saturday Baughman's Lane farmer's markets. Pryors Orchard, 13841B Pryor Road, Thurmont http://www.pryorsorchard.com Has an on-site market and orchard. Has an on-site market. Ridgefield Farm and Orchard, 414 Kidwiler Road, Harpers Ferry, W.Va. http://www.ridgefieldfarm.com Has an on-site market and orchard. Also sells baked goods made with apples. Also has fall-themed attractions on-site.
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