The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. While that may not be good news to everyone, one benefit to this time of year is the availability of delicious apples. There are so many options: eat them as is, drink some cider, eat an apple-spiced donut, or even bite into a delicious pie.
There are more than 140 orchards in Minnesota, with 20 million apples grown each year.
The University of Minnesota has one of the top apple breeding and genetics research programs in the country. Since the apple breeding program began in 1878, 29 varieties have been released (including favorites Haralson, Honeycrisp, SweeTango®, and Zestar®).
Residents of Carver County are lucky, because there are several orchards in the area that sell apples and offer extra fall fun. Some locations require tickets, so check various websites for more information on hours of operation and costs. Make plans to check them out before winter comes.
- Apple House (485 Rolling Acres Rd, Victoria, MN) — Part of the University of Minnesota Arboretum, this shop sells apples plus gourmet packaged goodies, frozen apple pies, pastries, gifts, pumpkins, squash and gourds.
- Deardorf Orchards (8282 Parley Lake Rd, Waconia, MN) — Featuring apples, pumpkins, mums and honey. Visitors can also take a tractor ride.
- Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest (8251 Old Hwy 169 Blvd, Jordan, MN) — Offering apples, animals, corn maze, food, and many other family-friendly attractions, this organization is set to welcome its two-millionth visitor this season.
- Luce Line Orchard (2755 Rose Ave, Watertown, MN) — Check out apples, corn maze, music, animals and lots of kids’ activities.
- Sever’s Festivals (3121 W 150th St, Shakopee, MN) — Apples are on sale, and there are other activities to check out, such as a corn maze, petting zoo, obstacle courses, a magician and much more.
