Apple Picking In New York: The Best Orchards

Outside the city limits, there are plenty of ways to reap the bounty of the land. And eat a cider doughnut or two.

Grieg Farm
Red Hook’s picturesque red-and-white farmhouse offers some of the best produce money can buy, so take what you can get from their apple orchard and pumpkin patch. The Grandiflora greenhouse has tons of potted gems and gifts for garden lovers. Gigi Market, their nearby cafe and trattoria, showcases a menu of meats, vegetables, and cheeses from the Hudson Valley.

Harbes Family Farm
Thirteen generations of farming has lead to three farm retail locations on the North Fork of Long Island (Mattituck, Jamesport, and Riverhead) and a wine tasting barn. Families are more than welcome to spend the day harvesting pumpkins (they’ve sold out of apples for the season), running through corn mazes, jumping on hay rides and hanging out with farm animals. Refreshments like cider doughnuts, candy apples and homemade kettle corn are available for noshing.

Fink's Country Farm
Stock up on the requisite autumn decorations -- hay bales, corn stalks, gourds -- during the fall festival at this secluded Wading River farm. Kids can entertain themselves with pig races, calf roping and the pumpkin slingshot, while you stuff your face with roasted corn on the cob. U-pick pumpkins on the vine can be carted around in wheelbarrows, and Friday and Saturday nights call for spooky flashlight-led walks through the corn maze.

Applewood Orchards & Winery
Arrive to Warwick early to pluck superlative apples from Macintosh, Rome Beauty, Empire, Gala and Honey Crisp trees; then head out to the pumpkin patch. Puppet shows, face painting and visits with chicks and bunnies up the cuteness factor. A country store sells jams, herbs, chrysanthemums and picnic lunches. You can also bring old cellphones to donate, in exchange for fresh apple doughnuts.

Hurds Family Farm
If your idea of a perfect fall day includes launching apples from a cannon and sitting in a cornstalk teepee, do not miss out on a trip to this century-old Modena farm. Sure, there are apples and pumpkins to pick, but there are also bonfires and go-carts rigged up to a tractor. Re-energize with hot apple cider, pumpkin muffins and the Apple Blossom Queen: sliced apples, chopped nuts and a hill of whipped cream.

For some fun facts on apple growing and harvesting in New York, check out the video.

Comments

[3daywkend]

08:26 PM on 10/22/2011

I'm trying to eat an apple a day, and I've discovered that there are many varieties and they aren't created equal.
The good (so far): Pink Lady, pink cripps(crisp?), jonagold, gala.
The bad (so far): Sweet tango, red delicious, fuji.

[bobbiewick]

09:01 PM on 11/16/2011

Honey Crisp and Jazz are very good -- if you like Pink Lady, you'll like them. Among the older varieties, my favorites are Cortland and Stayman Winesap. Golden Delicious isn't bad either -- it's much much better than Red Delicious, which I agree are awful.

[DEMatHEART]

09:15 AM on 10/13/2011

My vote for best apples in NY? The fruit belt along Lake Ontario!
Try the orchards in and around Lyndonville, NY. Nothing like them!

[nporter]

01:35 AM on 10/13/2011

LaFayette in Central NY just celebrated its 39th annual apple festival. Thousands of people attended it this past weekend. You couldn't get more than 2 hours from NYC to do some real research? This article left out the rest of the state!

[Tam Minor]

10:27 PM on 10/12/2011

What disqualified all the orchards in Chenango, Madison, Cortland & Tompkins County from your list? Was it because they are too far of a drive from NYC?

[truthtim]

08:30 PM on 10/12/2011

You Forgot about Libertyview Farm In Clintondale NY
The owner Billiam Van Roestenberg was HuffPo's Hottest Organic Farmer after all
Go for the apples and stay for the cute baby goats,
and the same sex marriage ceremonies they host
libertyviewfarm.biz

[Liz O'Connell]

09:10 PM on 10/14/2011

Greig Farm has a very cool goat herd. One momma goat had triplets last spring and rejected one. Farm owner Norman Greig hand raised "Stella" -- she rode around in the car with him, napped by his side, gamboled wherever possible. Even though she is now in with all the farm goats, when she sees Norman she raises a ruckus demanding his attention. Also, behind the garden shop there is an amazing koi pond. Throw the fish treats and watch the feeding frenzy! BTW, I live in a cottage on the farm.

[brooklyncitizen]

08:20 PM on 10/12/2011

so could I feasibly grow apples in my back yard?

[puzzled500]

08:40 PM on 10/12/2011

All you need is an apple tree.

[PTIM]

09:37 PM on 10/12/2011

Actually, you better get a two or three if you want to get a decent yield. Otherwise they won't pollenate very well.

[bobbiewick]

08:56 PM on 11/16/2011

You'd also need to spray the trees regularly, lest codling moths get into your crop.

[vinman043]

08:00 PM on 10/12/2011

Way upstate, near the Quebec border, is apple country, but to New Yorkers, nothing exists north of Albany.

[brooklyncitizen]

08:19 PM on 10/12/2011

SIGH.
not true we just don't drive very far

[PTIM]

09:38 PM on 10/12/2011

Point taken with the north of Albany comment, but some of the best orchards are in western and central New York.

[gfredsen]

07:57 PM on 10/12/2011

This was a disappointing article. I expected more about the great apple varieties: Empire, Gravenstein, and where I can find Ashcrofts Kernal or Calville Blanc.

[JDLamps]

07:26 PM on 10/12/2011

some of the best apples I tasted are the wild ones along the Erie Canal, no fertilizers, pesticides or any of the that stuff. Also Central New York is the place to go for some mighty fine orchards.

[PTIM]

09:42 PM on 10/12/2011

Where abouts have you found the wild ones along the Erie Canal? Are they fairly sweet? I am here in CNY and have only found crab apples. W hich are not bad but quite tart. And contrary to belief they are completely edible.

[ripples]

05:30 PM on 10/12/2011

Best apples in New York can be found in Niagara County up along Lake Ontario.

[barts]

05:11 PM on 10/12/2011

Guess the only two states that matter in this country are New York and California.

[Pete Mason]

05:23 PM on 10/12/2011

for apples, yes. NY has em better than washington too

[gfredsen]

07:59 PM on 10/12/2011

Don't compare the fresh out of the orchard apples with those Washington apples you find in your grocery store. That is an unfair comparison.

[annie0107]

05:24 PM on 10/12/2011

can't speak for CA or the other 48 but there's a reason NY is called the Big Apple ... Macintosh, Rome Beauty, Empire, Delicious, Cortland, Gala

[photobronx]

02:52 PM on 10/12/2011

Forgive me if I missed this detail, but does anyone know of any organic orchards within a couple hours' drive from NYC?

[annie0107]

05:29 PM on 10/12/2011

I'd recommend you "google" ... I just did and got lots and lots of info. By the way, the autumn leaves are going to be in full color within the next two weeks as you travel up to apple country. So not only will you be able to buy some organic apples but you'll get to see the beautiful fall colors. I happen to live up in Dutchess County (orchards are about 30 minutes from my home.) Route 84 is where you'll see some beautiful fall colors. Enjoy!!!!!

[photobronx]

05:44 PM on 10/12/2011

Thanks for the recommendation, Annie---we were hiking up in the Mohonks with some friends just this past weekend wondering about organic orchards. And the colors were just starting to pop. It's my favorite season---Cheers!

[teachrmk]

09:29 PM on 10/14/2011

check the NY Apple Country web site..this link takes you to places in Orange County, NY
http://www.nyapplecountry.com/pick.php?county=orange
you can also check the entire state on the site.

[photobronx]

10:55 AM on 10/16/2011

Fun site--lots of apple action out there. The recipe page will keep me busy... Many thanks for posting!

[Ann Freligh Stoddard]

01:55 PM on 10/12/2011

There's more to NY state than the City and Long Island, you folks who wrote this article need to get out more! PS we have great wineries in the FInger Lakes Too!

[Pete Mason]

01:18 PM on 10/12/2011

you didnt include one of the best in the albany area - Indian Ladder Farms.

[catsanon]

11:31 AM on 10/12/2011

I've lived in Albany NY for about six years after living in several other states, and my first choice for ANY orchard is the closest one.

If there are any bad orchards around, I haven't found them.