Trees are dropping the last of their leaves. Department stores are flashing with Christmas lights. These are the signs that autumn is nearing its end, and the holidays are about to begin. And what would a Thanksgiving dinner be without an apple pie at the end? The apple is an American favorite. But the apple season is nearing its close, so apple lovers must act quickly to get that ripe, perfect fruit.
If you have not yet made the short trip to one of Dane County's many apple orchards, you have just a few weeks left to gather the last of the crop. The following orchards remain open through November-just in time to purchase the perfect pie or jug of cider.
Appleberry Farm
8079 Maurer Rd., Cross Plains
798-2780
Due to this year's outstanding crop, Appleberry Farm has plenty of apples left over for visitors to choose from. This orchard produces over 30 antique apple varieties, as well as classics such as McIntosh and Jonathan apples.
Door Creek Orchard
3252 Vilas Rd., Cottage Grove
838-4762
Although Door Creek's products are now available by appointment only, their more than 75 varieties of apples will be worth the phone call. Door Creek blends its special cider once a week and boasts honey made by their own bees.
Eplegaarden LLC
2227 Fitchburg Rd., Fitchburg
845-5996
Eplegaarden is a Norwegian-style orchard featuring more than 100 apple varieties. Eplegaarden prides itself on its \slow-moving"" farm, and the now discounted (25 percent off) season-end apple crop.
Patricia Henderson, communications director for the United States Apple Association, said there are about 25,000 varieties of apples grown in the nation, about 100 of which are grown commercially.
""Wisconsin sticks to the varieties consumers are buying,"" Henderson said. ""They grow a lot of McIntosh, Red Delicious and Cortland.""
The differences in each variety may not be apparent from the outside, but often, even one bite will set apple types apart. The Jonathan apple, for example, is a yellow, tough-skinned commercial apple. The Northwestern Greening apple, though, is yellow, but it is not crisp or juicy, is slightly cone-shaped and is used mainly for cooking.
Although area orchards had impressive crops this year, Henderson said the nation's apple crop this year is the smallest in over a decade.
""This year's crop is smaller than years past, but it's extremely seasonal-each year depends on hail, disasters and weather. ... So while some areas are having a smaller crop, others are having a larger crop.""
Apple Journal (http://www.applejournal.com) supplies a bevy of information on all things apple. Apple Journal says modern supermarkets supply only seven to 10 types of apples and end up in a rut of supplying mediocre apples. Thus, Apple Journal suggests buying locally at orchards who can provide information on the uses, recipes and harvest times of different apple varieties. Also, buying locally cuts down on damage done by shipping and modern refrigeration.
Apple Journal also urges apple-lovers to buy in season-each variety peaks at a different time, affecting its freshness, nutritional value and flavor. Keeping apples cool after purchase also retains flavor, as apples continue to ripen after they have been picked. Cooling apples stops the ripening process and keeps the flavor fresh.
Bundle up and head to one of Dane County's orchards to get the last of the season's best sweet treats.
