Apple Picking

Apple picking on the farm is a quintessential New England experience. With 5 orchards and over 60 varieties, apple picking begins late August with summer apples. It continues through mid-October with mid and late season apples. Here are all the varieties we grow. Some are used for picking while others are grown just for hard cider making and for the farm store.

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🍾 = While many also grown for eating and baking, these varieties are prized for their use in crafting hard cider.

🥧 = While many varieties are excellent for baking, these are our top picks for pies. 

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HARVESTED LATE AUGUST

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EARLYMAC

Also known as Jersey Mac, this medium sized red apple has yellow-green splashes. Similar to its cousin, the McIntosh, this excellent snacking apple has crisp, juicy flesh with a tart flavor. Best for baking and good for fresh eating and applesauce. 

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REDFREE

A crisper texture than typically found in summer apples, Redfree can be kept in a fridge for several weeks after picking.

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GINGERGOLD

Great crisp & juicy eating apple. Tart in early season but will turn to a rich and spicy flavor towards late season. Retains great flesh quality for storing.

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WILLIAM'S PRIDE 🥧

This favorite early McIntosh-type apple bears large, dark reddish-purple, very juicy and flavorful fruit during late summer. Nice eating quality.

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EARLIGOLD

Earligold is a medium to large, round-conical apple that is one of the earlier apples of the season. Taste is a little on the tart side but good tasting for an early apple. Apple does have good storage life and retains its flavor reasonably well.

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ZESTAR

Sweet and tangy with accents of brown sugar, Zestar is known for its unique flavor that intensifies at room temperature. Best for fresh eating and in baked goods, sauces, desserts and salads. Praised for its shelf life, Zestar can be stored up for 2 months with or without refrigeration.

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PAULARED 🥧

Attractive fruit with dusty red colored skin covered in gold spots reminiscent of the well-known McIntosh. Its white flesh is both sweet, tart and crisp when fresh picked.

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GRAVENSTEIN 🥧

Unbeatable early pie apple option. Crisp and spicy for eating.

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BURGUNDY 🥧

Tart, pucker-the-mouth taste which makes it a great apple for pies or sauce. Yields one of the best “apple tastes” when cooked.

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HARVESTED EARLY - MID SEPTEMBER

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MCINTOSH 🍾

Favorite New England eating apple. Juicy and flavorful. Softens rapidly which makes a soft, smooth applesauce.

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GALA 🍾

#1 apple for snacking! Crisp, juicy, flavorful with a high sugar content to balance tartness. Great for no-sugar added applesauce.

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SANSA

Often compared to the more well-known gala variety for their similar appearance and flavor, Sansas are medium-large with red striped skin overlaid on a yellow background, and yellow flesh. The flavor is sweet, complex and has some tartness.

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JONAMAC

One of the most popular snacking apples for its very sweet, crisp, creamy yellow flesh. It has a characteristic striped skin that is almost orange in color. A red and green apple that is a cross between a Jonathan and a McIntosh that is aromatic, juicy, and has a semi-sweet flavor.

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EARLY FUJI

It has a mostly red colored skin with small patches of golden yellow blush and light vertical striations. The Early Fuji has a white to cream-colored, dense, yet crisp flesh. Complex in flavor, low in acidity and very sweet with notes of both honey and citrus

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RUBY MAC

Great eating apple and for applesauce, Ruby Macs have a tart-sweet flavor and are a beautiful red apple. The "Mac" part of the name means the apple is part Macintosh variety, for those

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LINDA MAC

True McIntosh flavor with a bright red blush. Fruit color develops earlier than other McIntosh strains. Enjoy bushels of attractive, stripe-free apples with good sweet flavor. Cold-hardy. Excellent for fresh-eating and baking.

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HONEYCRISP 🍾🥧

Complex, sweet-tart flavor with juicy and super crisp flesh! Excellent for eating and salads, good for sauces & baking.

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PIONEER MAC

Fruit quality, flavor and size are excellent. Flesh is white and firmer than many McIntosh strains. Best for eating and applesauce.

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JONATHAN 🥧

The Jonathan apple is medium sized and covered in a thin red skin, blushed with yellow to green undertones. The fine textured flesh of the Jonathon apple is creamy yellow in color with a crisp bite and lots of juice. Its flavor is mildly sweet with a tart tang and subtle hints of spice.

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HARVESTED MID - LATE SEPTEMBER

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CORTLAND 🍾🥧

Versatile & all purpose apple favorite! Crisp & juicy for eating fresh, non-browning flesh for salads and ideal for pies since it cooks without mushing.

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ACEY MAC

The Acey Mac apple is crisp, juicy and sweet. It’s an excellent snacking apple. Similar to – and just slightly firmer and generally larger – than its cousin the McIntosh.

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KIDD'S GALA

Boasts a sweet flavor with hints of vanilla and has a floral aroma and are favorites for fresh eating and applesauce.

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REGAL GALA

A highly colored gala strain, is a soft-eating apple, though a bit crisper than Golden Delicious.

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BUCKEYE GALA

Fruit is bright red with distinctively dark red stripes. Great for fresh-eating, cooking, and baking. Keeps up to 7 months in proper storage.

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MACOUN 🍾

Macoun is a medium to large-sized apple, deep red over a green base. Many consider Macoun the best tasting apple, especially fresh from the tree. Macoun has become especially esteemed by connoisseurs in the Northeast for its crispy, juicy white flesh and rich, complex flavors of strawberry and spices.

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LIBERTY 🍾

Fruit has a yellow background with attractive red overtones, a crisp white flesh, and a harmonious sweet-tart taste. Perfect for fresh-eating, cooking, canning, or keeping – proper storage improves the flavor.

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GOLDEN DELICIOUS

The Golden Delicious Apple came from a seedling of the Grimes Golden Apple in West Virginia. It was introduced in 1900. It has a crisp juicy flesh. This apple is sweet and has a distinct flavor.

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RED DELICIOUS

Has a sweet but very mild flavor, somewhat reminscent of slightly over-ripe melon. The flesh is juicy and has a light crispness. The skin can be quite tough. Overall Red Delicious can be quite a refreshing apple to eat.

SNOWSWEET 

Firm to crisp texture, this fresh eating apple stores well and has a sweet tart balance that resists browning after cut.

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GALARINA 🍾

This good flavored Gala apple has a thicker skin and stores exceptionally well.

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EMPIRE

Red, juicy, firm, crunchy and sweet, Empires are excellent for salads, and good for sauce, baking, pies and freezing.

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HARVESTED EARLY - LATE OCTOBER

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FORTUNE

Both sweet and tart with spicy undertones, the Fortune apple is a cross between Red Spy and Empire. It has burgundy red skin with green streaks peeking through, and a unique flavor that mirrors both parent varieties.

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HAMPSHIRE MAC

A McIntosh-type apple discovered by Erick Leadbeater of Contoocook, NH. The fruit is 90% red and very firm with a crisp, juicy texture. Ripening 2-3 weeks later than a conventional McIntosh, this variety provides us the opportunity to extend New England’s McIntosh season.

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SPIGOLD 🥧

A handsome, high-quality apple. Tree is vigorous and bears medium-to-large sized, bright golden fruit with gorgeous red striping. Flesh is crisp with a delicate flavor and delightful aftertaste. Ideal for fresh-eating as well as baking.

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JONAGOLD 🥧

Excellent for fresh eating, pies and applesauce, this high quality variety is firm, sweet tart with a juicy, crunchy flesh.

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RED JONAPRINCE

A strain of Jonagold, this dark red-colored apple has a flesh that is firmer, has a little more sugar and is a little more tart than that of Jonagold.

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BALDWIN 🍾🥧

A genuine dual-purpose apple. The flavor for eating fresh is sweet and unpretentious, but crisp and pleasant. It is equally at home in the kitchen where it retains its shape when cooked, and lends a moderately rich sweet flavor to apple pies.

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MELROUGE 🍾

Redder sport of Melrose with more intense flavor. An excellent flavored dessert apple. Size is large and roundish flat. Very good for cooking. Stores well.

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AUTUMN GALA 🍾

This very firm variety is the 1st late season gala to ripen.

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HUDSON'S GOLDEN GEM

Hudson’s Golden Gem originated in Oregon in 1931. It came from a seedling of an unknown apple variety. It has a crisp, sweet flesh and is best eaten fresh.

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SPITZENBURG ESOPUS 🍾

Solely used in our hard cider making process, this aromatic honey flavored, sweet variety has a buttery flesh and noted as a most excellent dessert apple.

 

ASHMEAD'S KERNEL 🍾

Used solely for our hard cider making process, this aromatic and distinctive pear drop flavored apple originated in the 1700’s.

 

KINGSTON BLACK 🍾

Known as a perfect single varietal hard cider apple, this small dark fruit has a bittersharp full flavor.

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ARKANSAS BLACK

Fairly tart when fresh-picked, the apples mellow with storage. Arkansas Blacks are considered an excellent keeping apple, and can be stored for six months in appropriate conditions.

 

NORTHERN SPY 🍾🥧

A very late season, large and stout apple with carmine red skin with streaks of yellow and pale green. Its tender-crisp flesh is creamy yellow and juicy. It imparts a bit of a tartness in its bite, but more of a cider-quality flavor with hints of sweet pear.

 

CAROUSEL

A bright, red-striped apple with a creamy orange color; firm and crisp. It has a thin skin with a sweet/tart flavor, and makes a great fresh eating apple. You may even notice a hint of pear.

 

QUERINA 🍾

This excellent eating apple is firm and juicy with a sweet tart flavor with a skin that develops solid red color.

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MUTSU 🍾🥧

Great all purpose apple. Dense, crisp and juicy texture. Makes a flavorful applesauce and is also great for pies & eating. Store well. Cider Hill’s version of Granny Smith!

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CORAIL

Corail have a creamy flesh, crisp, crunchy texture and sweet flavor with subtle tropical undertones, such as banana and pineapple. They hold up to temperatures when cooked, so they are ideal for pies, tarts and baking. Pair with pork for a sweet addition to dinner or great for a snack.

 

AMBROSIA

Ambrosia is a glossy, bi-coloured apple. It has an attractive conical shape and smooth, flawless skin with a bright, almost fluorescent pink blush over a creamy-yellow and green background. The apple has tender, juicy flesh with a fine, crisp texture & honeyed flavor. Ambrosia is also a low-acid apple, which makes it easier for kids and older people to digest.

 

NEWTON PIPPIN 🍾🥧

A notably versatile apple, being excellent for eating fresh, cooking, and for juicing and hard cider, it is one of the oldest American apple varieties. Hard and unappetizing if eaten straight from the tree, it should be stored for 1-2 months before being used over the winter period.

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SUNCRISP

A crisp, sweet late season apple that tops in taste and stores exceptionally well.

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RED ROME

A very traditional flavor – mildly sweet and slightly tangy with a bit of a floral aroma, the rome varieties have been called the queen of baking apples.

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STAYBRITE

Staybrites have a hard crispy yellow flesh with superb tangy-tart flavor. They are best for baking, sauces, and ciders.

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GOLDEN RUSSETT 🍾🥧

A small moderately attractive apple, which keeps well, and is very versatile for eating, cooking or juicing

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ROXBURY RUSSETT 🍾🥧

Recognized to be the oldest apple variety originated in North America, this excellent baking apple is also used in making hard cider.

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FUJI

Firm fleshed, yellow with good balance of sweet and acid.

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BRAEBURN

Braeburn apples are very crisp and juicy with a sweet flavor combined with subtle hints of spice, pear, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Its firm flesh is pale yellow to gold and contains a few dark brown seeds in the center of the fibrous core.

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GOLDRUSH 🍾

This intensely flavored, storage apples keeps 10 - 12 months crisp and resists browning when cut.

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DABINETT 🍾

Used solely for our hard cider making process, this high quality English cider apple has a bittersweet flavor.

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HARRISON 🍾

Used solely for our hard cider making process, the Harrison cider apple is one of the most famous 18th-century American cider apples with flesh that is pleasant and sprightly.

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YARLINGTON MILL 🍾

This intensely flavored hard cider apple keeps 10 - 12 months crisp and resists browning when cut.

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GIBSON GOLDEN

Apples are yellow with smooth skin, with a sweet juicy flavor. Is a great fresh eating apple.

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SNAPP STAYMAN

Known for its beautiful, blushed-coloring, excellent eating quality and culinary uses, this heirloom variety has a distinctive, sweet-tart flavor, snappy bite, and satisfying, firm texture.

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HARVESTED LATE OCTOBER

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WICKSON CRAB 🍾

Used solely in our hard cider making process, this variety is surprisingly sweet balanced by a high acid content.

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EVERCRISP

Sweet, juicy and firm. EverCrisp® packs a loud crunch and combines the best of its parents Honeycrisp and Fuji. Excellent for snacking, baking and sauces.
 

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