Apple picking season is almost here! Starting around Labor Day weekend and continuing through October, orchards around the bay area offer families the chance to pick their own apples.

Experience the most fun part of growing fruits, combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat - it's a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family! Don't forget your camera!

The farms listed below are local farms, owned by local families that believe in providing healthier options to the community. Information about seasonal fruit picking gathered from their websites, so please check the calendar prior to your visit. 

Come back for updates throughout the season, as we will update the information regarding open and close dates, fruit availability and more.

Gizdich Ranch (55 Peckham Rd, Watsonville)
Apple U-Pick will open on September 14th, 2019 for about 3-4 weeks

www.gizdich-ranch.com

Apples varieties include Red-Delicious, Golden-Delicious, Newtown Pippin and Royal Gala.

After picking, take a self-guided tour of our apple orchard. If you're visiting on Saturdays (September-April only), you can watch the apples get pressed for juice!

When everyone's ready for lunch, picnic behind the sales barn and let the kids play. Read about our experience here.

Picking apples at Gizdich Ranch, September 2016

Live Earth Farm (172 Litchfield Ln, Watsonville)
Apple U-Pick will open in October
http://liveearthfarm.net/aboutus/buy-direct/farm-stand/live-earth-farm-u-pick-schedule/
When abundance in the field permits, U-Picks will be held on Saturdays and Sundays only from 10:00am – 3:00pm. Availability of crops varies from week to week – check the website for the status of available items. Discounts apply to produce the more you pick! Bring buckets, boxes, or other containers to harvest into, or purchase containers for a small fee.  Make sure to dress accordingly – layers, hats, sunblock. Load up the kids, pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it! No dogs other than guide dogs allowed in the orchard.

Clearview Organic Orchards (646 Trabing Rd, Watsonville)

Apple U-Pick will open on September 7th, 2019, through end of October.

www.clearvieworchards.com

Organic apples U-Pick will be open weekends beginning in September thru early November each year.

Whether you want to pick your own apples or simply pick up some organic fruit from the “Apple Hut” to take home, Clearview Orchards is the place to create memories. Bring the whole family out for the Watsonville apple picking experience.

The orchards are in a beautiful terraced setting overlooking the valley of Watsonville. Only a mile from the ocean and La Selva beach, the air is fresh and there is nothing better than wandering around the orchards for some genuine Watsonville apple picking.

Apples varieties include the delicious Fuji, Gala Apples, Cameos, Johnagold, and Granny Smiths.

No dogs other than guide dogs allowed in the orchard; No picnic area available and no outside food allowed inside the orchard; Limited parking, no street parking, try to carpool.

Clearview Orchards

 A Day Trip: Apple Picking in Santa Rosa

Thinking about the fall, evening breezes, beautiful leaves changing colors, sipping pumpkin spiced latte, and apple cider, this is a great time for a family vacation in the beautiful Sonoma County. Whether you stay the night or just make a day out of it, it is a great area for apple picking!

 

Hale's Apple Farm (1526 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol)
Organic apples U-pick will be open daily from late September to October.
Hale’s Apple Farm offers more than 30 varieties of juicy, fresh apples (including 3 rare ones: Hudson’s Golden Gem, Golden Russet, and Bramley’s Seedling).
In addition, the farm also boasts a nice assortment of pumpkins, gourds, squash, tomatoes, and locally produced apple cider. 

Hale's Apple Farm

Apple-A-Day Ratzlaff Ranch (13128 Occidental Rd., Sebastopol)
www.farmtrails.org/farm/apple-a-day-ratzlaff-ranch
Organic apples U-pick will be open from late September to October, closed Thursday and Saturday.

Apple-A-Day Ratzlaff Ranch offers Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, and Rome apples. U-pick is offered September & October. We also process and sell fresh apple juice.

This ranch is a part of the Sonoma Farm Trails, make sure to check the website before your trip, as they have great events going on!

Gabriel Farm (3175 Sullivan Rd. Sebastopol)
www.gabrielfarm.com
Organic apples and pears U-pick will be open on weekends (Saturday and Sunday 10am-3pm) from late August to November.
Gabriel Farm reserves the u-pick experience for farm CSA members. Because of the high demand for the u-pick experience, and the limited size of our orchard, we decided to offer the experience to our committed customers who would like to establish an on-going relation with our farm and enjoy our various products during our 6-month harvest season. Price of membership is a case of our juice: for $36 you get 3 gallons of shelf-stable juice and the ability to pick and purchase whatever is in season. Farm memberships are purchased when you visit the farm and are renewed annually.
They also offer a variety of tours for groups and families. To book a tour you can email Lucy at: mcbrideolson@gmail.com or call the farm at (707) 829-0617.

Chileno Valley Ranch (5105 Chileno Valley Rd, Petaluma) www.mikeandsallygalebeefranch.com
Organic apples U-Pick requires booking a time slot online!
Chileno Valley Ranch includes an organic apple orchard, with varieties such as Orin, Pinova, Candy Crisp, and Jonagold. All the apple varieties are blind taste test winners, and can be purchased from the ranch during u-pick days.
Throughout the day, they offer farm tours so you can see the cows and sheep up close. You can even feed them fallen apples from the orchard, so nothing goes to waste.

Chileno Valley Ranch

You had a great day at the apple orchard, picking organic apples, and now you have too much apples at home? Here are a few apple recipes for kids and families to try. Whether you’ll let your children help out, or you’ll only let them lick the spoon, these recipes will be a great success!

Apple Picking at Gizdich Ranch

We visited the Gizdich Ranch Pik-Yor-Self apples orchard and we had a great afternoon!

Upon arrival, the friendly staff explained about the apple varieties and how to pick them. We grabbed a big bucket and headed into the beautiful orchards. 
Apples varieties include Red-Delicious, Golden-Delicious, Newtown Pippin and Royal Gala. They are in separate rows, and it is very easy to move from one to another.  

The trees are full of fruit and low, which make it easy even for a toddler to choose and pick fruit. We picked and tasted apples from the different varieties, tasted them and had a great time! 

On our way out, we returned the bucket, weighed our bag and paid for the apples, $1.65/lb.

We drove back to the main entrance, where they press fresh apple juice and bake fresh pies. 
The line for the bakery was long and went out the door, so while I was waiting in line, my husband and son were outside playing. They offer a variety of apple and berries pies. Since they ran out of the very berry pie, we tried the dutch apple pie with ice cream. It was delicious!

There are plenty of tables and benches inside, and a nice picnic area behind the sales barn, where kids can play.

It was a great and fun experience for the all family! 


Gizdich Ranch
www.gizdich-ranch.com
55 Peckham Road, Watsonville
(831) 722-1056
Open daily, 9am-5pm

Apple Recipes - Making the Most of Apple Picking Family Adventures

Apple picking season is almost here! Starting around Labor Day weekend and continuing through October, orchards around the bay area offer families the chance to pick their own apples.

Experience the most fun part of growing fruits, combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat - it's a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family! Don't forget your camera! Here you will find a list of local orchards.

You had a great day at the apple orchard, picking organic apples, and now you have too much apples at home? Here are a few apple recipes for kids and families to try. Whether you’ll let your children help out, or you’ll only let them lick the spoon, these recipes will be a great success!

Baked Apples

This is my favorite holiday recipe. My grandma used to make it, and she always said we can help, but we can only eat after dinner. Every year we believed her, and every year she would make a small batch for us to eat when we couldn’t resist the smell.

Ingredients:

6 big Granny Smith apples

Juice from ½ lemon

6oz Walnuts

6 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Core the apples and brush cut sides with lemon juice.

Chop the walnut coarsely, and fill each apple. Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1 tsp of sugar.

Place in a cake pan with about 1” of water in it, and bake about 40 min., until the apples are soft. Every 15 minutes, scoop some of the water on to the apples.

Take the apples out, and keep the sauce.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, and drizzle the sauce on the ice cream and apple.

Baked Apples

Inside Out Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

2-3 Granny Smith apples

1 cup caramel candies

1 tablespoons water

Juice from ½ lemon

Optional: Toppings like walnuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or anything else your children like

Directions:

Slice apples in half and brush cut sides with lemon juice. Scoop out the inside of the apples using a melon baller, or any small scooping tool. Make sure to leave a thick enough edge all way around.

In a microwave-safe bowl, place unwrap caramel candies and water. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and repeat until caramel candies are completely melted.

Scoop the melted caramel into each apple, be careful as it is very hot! Top with your favorite fixings.

Let sit for about an hour, cut each half apple into thirds, and keep refrigerated.

Apple Chips

Ingredients:

2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Arrange apples slices on a metal baking sheet.

Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together, and sprinkle over the apple slices.

Bake 45-60 minutes, until apples are dried and edges curl up. Let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Mini Puff Pastry Apple Pies

Ingredients:

1 package of puff pastry – thawed according to directions on package.

3 red apples

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core and chop apples up coarsely; Mix with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Flour surface lightly and cut the pastry into 4x4 squares (or use big cookie cutters like we did). Place mixture on each square, brush the edge with beaten egg, and cover with another piece of pastry. Press down the borders with your fingers or the edge of a fork, and brush with beaten egg. Make a small X shaped incision, and place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake 20 minutes until golden.

Tarte Tatin

French upside-down pastry in which the apples are caramelized in butter and sugar. You can’t go wrong with this recipe!

It requires preparations and planning ahead, but it is my husband’s favorite, so it got into the list!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 1/3 cups flour

1 stick cold butter

2 tablespoons ice cold water

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon lemon juice

For the filling:

3 lbs. Granny Smith apples

Juice from ½ lemon

1 stick butter

¾ cup sugar

Directions:

In a food processor, mix all the dough ingredients until combined. Make a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill for 3-4 hours.

Take the dough out and roll on a lightly floured surface to about 13” circle. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core and cut apples into quarters. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

In an iron cast melt sugar and butter. Once melted, arrange the apples in two layers and cook fir 5 minutes.

Cover with the chilled dough, and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Chill for 15-20 minutes. Place a serving plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert to release tarte from the pan. Scrape any remaining apples stuck to the pan back on top of crust.

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.