When autumn rolls around, it’s time for one thing besides pumpkin spice latte’s: it’s time to take a trip to the local orchard.
In New Jersey, trips to the orchard in the fall are a tradition . Living in the garden state gives multiple opportunities and places for the public to get their fix of cider, in donut and drink form, and many more autumn staples.
Whether you live around Monmouth University, and can take a trip to Delicious Orchards or Battle View Orchards, or farther away to Terhune Orchards, the apples and other fruits are ripe and ready to be picked.
As a local resident of Princeton, my family takes a trip to Terhune Orchards every year. I stock up on cider, donuts and a few apples to bring back to Monmouth and my mom always likes to get a fresh Apple Walnut Pie from the Farm Market. The key to Terhune Orchards is grabbing a bag of cider donuts as soon as they come off of the truck from the bakery. They’re slightly hot but you can wash them down with the apple cider, making the perfect sugary combination.
Terhune Orchards is full of activities for all ages. There is a corn maze which Bryanna Recanzone, junior health studies major, recommended. “I loved the corn maze, I went with my niece over the weekend,” Recanzone said. Plus, there is a wine tasting. Terhune has all of their leaf colored bases covered.
Terhune Orchards also includes a pumpkin patch and a mum patch, along with apple and gourd picking. Fresh bags of apple cider donuts are consistently being brought to the smaller stands around and their farm market. The same donuts are available every day, year round for people looking to get the taste of fall even in the summer.
According to the website, “Every week brings bands, wagon rides, food, pony rides and great times at Terhune Orchards.”
Although the corn maze may have been one of Recanzone’s favorite things to do at Terhune, the day offered something a little more memorable. Recanzone’s boyfriend picked Terhune and one of its patches of mums as his spot to propose over the weekend.
“I ran over to the mum patch,” Recanzone said. “I picked my mums and then set the pumpkins down next to them to take a picture. He told me to move to the other side to take the picture, and got down on one knee.”
On the other side of New Jersey are places like Delicious Orchards and Battle View Orchards. Kayla Horvath, a senior communication major, has been to both but said that she most recently has been to Battle View.
“Battleview Orchards is hands down my favorite place around here for pumpkin picking, apple picking, or other fun fall stuff. They have hayrides and it’s all pick your own. They also have this little shop with homemade goods and fresh produce. They have the world’s best apple cider donuts.”
According to Battleview’s website, Battleview has been open since 1908. Battleview offers apple and pumpkin picking until the end of October, and group picking which needs to be scheduled ahead of time. They also offer a senior citizen discount on Monday and Thursday and hayrides throughout the fall season.
Delicious Orchards offers both Apple Fest and Pumpkin Fest, with Apple Fest being in September and Pumpkin Fest coming up on October 13. Pumpkin Fest is free and will include pumpkin painting and decorating, games, an antique tractor display, live music and free food samples, according to the farm’s website.
Perhaps the most enticing part of taking a trip to the orchard is the wholesome quality of these items.
There is no doubt that there is just an extra rewarding feeling of choosing from the freshest quality.
Mary Harris, a certified holistic health coach and specialist communication professor, said, “Picking apples (or any fruit) locally is always a better option because the apples have not had to travel far and are still packed with nutrients, whereas non-local apples are picked, stored, and shipped, often sitting in boxes or on shelves for a prolonged period of time.”
“The fresher the food, the better. Supporting local farms is a nice thing to do, in general. Small farms especially need support from local consumers to stay in business,” she said.
Whether you visit Terhune, Battle View, Delicious Orchards, or any other Jersey orchard for that matter, it’s tempting to indulge in the Garden State’s perks of fresh ingredients and fruits- especially in the fall.
IMAGE TAKEN from NJ.com
IMAGE TAKEN from newyork.seriouseats.com
