Apple Picking

Hands down, picking pumpkins is one of my top Fall activities to do.  I just love it!  And, as you know, blueberry picking is right up there amongst my favorite Summer activities.  What can I say, I like to pick stuff!? (Okay, sorry, that sounded gross!)  Lucky for me, Antoine enjoys fruit/gourd picking almost as much as me...or maybe he just likes to see me get all kinds of nerdy, because I really do geek out about this stuff!  Regardless, when I suggested picking apples again this year he was like, "yeah, that would be fun!"  But here's the weird thing about me and apple picking, I really don't like apple baked goods.  GASP!!  I know, it's madness.  Now blueberry baked goods are my jam (haha, literally!) and there are few things I love more than carving pumpkins, but apples...meh.  I mean, I like to eat raw apples, though I tend to be a little particular (pink lady apples are the shit!), but when it comes to cooked apples I'm just not a fan.  I think it's the texture.

But the picking I dig!  I enjoy going to a farm, taking pictures, being amongst all the green and trees.  It's just a good feeling.  So, about two and a half weeks ago Antoine and headed about 45 minutes north to Lebanon to Irons' Fruit Farms, where we had picked a couple years ago.  It was a gorgeous day, sunny and not too warm. 

Irons' Fruit is a great little farm that also offers pumpkin picking and hayrides.  They have a variety of animals on the property and a cool little store with baked goods, jams and other fruits and veggies for sale.  Sadly, the property was a little more overgrown and worn than the last time we went.

But the creatures are all still pretty fun to watch, including this big pig!

 I naturally had to snap some pictures before we made our way out to the apple fields.

Sadly, the apples weren't too great.  The fields were overgrown, there was poison ivy everywhere, and most of the apples we would initially pick had to be chucked because they were rotten or bug infested.  So it took us quite a while to pick enough decent apples for fill a half bushel, but we still managed to have fun!

 Like I said, we picked a 1/2 bushel (which was $13)...in retrospect, that was way too many apples.  After making several crisps, jam and bread I still have apples coming out the wazoo!

After we picked out half bushel of apples we headed to the little Irons' Fruit store to pay for the apples and grab some baked goods, cider, green beans and peaches.

Antoine enjoying his apple hand pie!

On the way to our car we spotted this guy, who so nicely came up to the fence so we could pet him and I could take his picture!    So cute.

Despite the apples being kind of spotty and the crazy amounts of overgrown vines and poison ivy, Antoine and I still had a blast apple picking!