Apple Picking on Long Island, NY
It is often a family tradition to pick apples as the begining to the fall Halloween season on Long Island and through out New York. As summer comes to a close and fall arrives through out the northeast the leaves begin to change as a chill enters the air. The leaves changing color may also bring to mind the colors of apples that are ripe for picking. The season does last through November but many Apple Picking Farms are picked dry by mid October. After apple picking with your family be sure to visit some of the Pumpkin picking that will surely be in the area. Apple picking is a great past time and a family tradition that you should begin with you and yours this year!
The apple's cultivation was first recorded being cultivated in Egypt and was eventually brought to the United stats in 1620 by the pilgrims; and are an arborous variety that can live for hundreds of years. Long Island was the beginning of commercial trade for apples as they were exported from here to the West Indies in 1741.
Today, there are over 500 varieties of apples and still more hybrids. Some of the more popular varieties include:
Baldwin Apple: Color: red-skinned usually mottled and streaked with yellow; Flavor: crisp texture, with a mildly tart yet sweet flavor; Availability: October-April from the New York Region.
Cortland Apple: Color: shiny smooth red skin that does not brown easily; Flavor: sweet-tart flesh with a crisp texture; Uses: great for cooking and biting into.
Crabapple: Color: usually a smaller apple with a rosey red color; Flavor: too sour for biting into; Uses: great for jams, jellies, pork and poultry cooking; Availability: September, October, November.
Criterion Apple: Color: bright red skin with greenish highlights; Flavor: is a bit tart; Uses: baking and hand eating.
Gala Apple: Color: bright rosy red skin; Flavor: juicy and sweet with a firm and crisp texture; Uses: great for biting into and for baking; Availability: September-June.
Golden Delicious Apple: Color: yellow or yellow-green; Flavor: crisp and juicy flesh which resists very well to browning; Uses: great for biting into but will loose some of its delicious flavor when cooked; Availability: September-June and store well in the refrigerator for 150 days.
Macoun Apple: Color: wine red; Flavor: sweet-tart crisp and juicy usually a smaller apple; Uses: best for hand eating but great for any purpose and is known to be an East coast favorite.
McIntosh Apple: Color: bright red skinned occasionally tinged with green mid-sized; Flavor: crisp and tart-sweet and medium sized; Uses: all purpose though it doesn’t hold well to lengthy cooking; Availability: September-March.
Red Delicious Apple: Color: brilliant red, streaked with green. This apple has a distinctive elongated shape with five distinctive knobs at its base; Flavor: sweet and juicy; Uses: hand eating is preferable as this apple does not cook well; Availability: September-April and will remain edible for 160 days when refrigerated.
Rhode Island Greening Apple: Color: green to yellow in color; Flavor: sweet-tart flavor; Uses: its natural flavor really intensifies with cooking and its texture remains essentially; unchanged with cooking. Although this apple is also great for hand eating; Availability: October-April and is found mainly in the eastern and central United States.
Today, there are over 500 varieties of apples and still more hybrids. Some of the more popular varieties include:
Baldwin Apple: Color: red-skinned usually mottled and streaked with yellow; Flavor: crisp texture, with a mildly tart yet sweet flavor; Availability: October-April from the New York Region.
Cortland Apple: Color: shiny smooth red skin that does not brown easily; Flavor: sweet-tart flesh with a crisp texture; Uses: great for cooking and biting into.
Crabapple: Color: usually a smaller apple with a rosey red color; Flavor: too sour for biting into; Uses: great for jams, jellies, pork and poultry cooking; Availability: September, October, November.
Criterion Apple: Color: bright red skin with greenish highlights; Flavor: is a bit tart; Uses: baking and hand eating.
Gala Apple: Color: bright rosy red skin; Flavor: juicy and sweet with a firm and crisp texture; Uses: great for biting into and for baking; Availability: September-June.
Golden Delicious Apple: Color: yellow or yellow-green; Flavor: crisp and juicy flesh which resists very well to browning; Uses: great for biting into but will loose some of its delicious flavor when cooked; Availability: September-June and store well in the refrigerator for 150 days.
Macoun Apple: Color: wine red; Flavor: sweet-tart crisp and juicy usually a smaller apple; Uses: best for hand eating but great for any purpose and is known to be an East coast favorite.
McIntosh Apple: Color: bright red skinned occasionally tinged with green mid-sized; Flavor: crisp and tart-sweet and medium sized; Uses: all purpose though it doesn’t hold well to lengthy cooking; Availability: September-March.
Red Delicious Apple: Color: brilliant red, streaked with green. This apple has a distinctive elongated shape with five distinctive knobs at its base; Flavor: sweet and juicy; Uses: hand eating is preferable as this apple does not cook well; Availability: September-April and will remain edible for 160 days when refrigerated.
Rhode Island Greening Apple: Color: green to yellow in color; Flavor: sweet-tart flavor; Uses: its natural flavor really intensifies with cooking and its texture remains essentially; unchanged with cooking. Although this apple is also great for hand eating; Availability: October-April and is found mainly in the eastern and central United States.
The expression "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is an expression that was coined many years before physicians actually knew the real benefits that came with eating apples. Apples are full of antioxidants, as are pomegranates, tomatoes, and thankfully dark chocolate. Be sure to not peal your apples, as by peeling them you will loose the main source of the antioxidants in apples. With the winter season quickly approaching many are faced with the risk of catching air borne diseases such as colds, flu, and other viral infections; apples are also a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.
For more information please visit the related categories in our directory: Long Island Farms, Long Island Pumpkin Picking, Long Island Farmer Markets.