Harvest apples – and memories – at local orchards
Traveling to an orchard to pick your own apples is not going to save you a bushel of money. But that doesn’t stop people from savoring the experience.
“There are still a lot of people that like to pick their own,” said Shari Regier, who owns Regier Farm & Orchard with her husband, Daryl. “Especially people from the city like to bring their kids and take pictures of them picking and that sort of thing.
“Kids think they get their food from the grocery store,” she added. “It’s an educational thing.”
The Regiers’ place in Butler County lets visitors pick their own apples, as does Steffen Orchard in Sumner County.
At both, mid-September should be peak season for apple picking.
“It looks good at this point,” Shari Regier said of the crop during an interview last month. “Last year at this point, we had wind, and it kind of thinned some out and knocked some out.”
The Regiers expect to have about 15 varieties of apples available during the picking season, including a few you might not find in the supermarket.
“The first ones we start with are Jonathans,” she said. “These are good cooking apples, but lots of people like to eat them, too. They’re a little tarter.”
Red and Golden Delicious, Empire, Rome and Granny Smith apples come along later, as do smaller amounts of Mutsu, Ida Red, McCallen and Braeburn.
“And White Sap,” Regier said, remembering one more. “That’s an old variety.”
Regier is hard-pressed to name her own favorite for eating and says when it comes to cooking with them, using more than one variety is perfectly acceptable.
“When I make applesauce, I mix a lot of different kinds. I use what needs to be used up. Altogether, it makes a good applesauce.”
Nick Steffen of Steffen Orchard said his harvest starts with Gala apples, followed by Jonathans, Jonagold, Red and Golden Delicious and Arkansas Blacks. Steffen usually starts making cider in late September, but because of a heavy crop this year, he plans to make his first batch earlier in the month.
At both orchards, prices aren’t set until the owners get a better idea of the harvest size and quality. Harvested apples are for sale at both, but if you plan to pick your own, dress comfortably, bring water and call before going to make sure the orchard is open for business. In addition to their regular hours, both orchards are open by appointment.
Apple orchards
▪ Regier Farm & Orchard, 12249 NW Meadowlark Road, Whitewater; 316-799-2025. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Steffen Orchard, 1345 W. 90th Ave. North, Conway Springs; 620-456-2706. Open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Shari Regier’s apple crisp
Makes 6-8 servings
5 cups sliced apples
1 cup white sugar (adjust according to sweetness of apples)
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup water
Topping:
3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup nuts, if desired
Mix apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and water in 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Mix topping ingredients until crumbly and spread over apple mixture. Bake in 350-degree oven 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.
Apple cake
Nick Steffen said this recipe, from neighbor Angie Ahne, was in use by his family even before they owned an orchard.
Makes 4-6 servings
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup shortening, softened
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2 cups diced raw apples
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, folding in apples last. Pour into an 8-by-8-inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.
Grandma Mary’s apple butter
This recipe comes form Nick Steffen’s wife, Mary.
Makes about 4 quarts
4 quarts apples, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces or grated
4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Place ingredients in a 4-quart Crockpot; the lid should just barely fit. Cook on high about four to five hours, stirring periodically, or until apples are tender.
Mash mixture until smooth (Steffen uses a portable hand blender). Continue cooking on low for one hour. Great for canning and serving on bread, toast and pancakes.
Red hot apples
Shari Regier calls this easy recipe “like a pie without the crust.” The Red Hot candies and butter melt together to form a syrup. The amount you need varies according to how many apples you use.
Makes 6 servings
6 apples
1/2 cup Red Hot candies
2 tablespoons butter
Core apples, leaving peels on if desired. Cut into halves or quarters. Place Red Hots and butter in bottom of a microwave-safe dish and put apples on top. Microwave on high for six minutes or until apples are tender.
This story was originally published September 14, 2014 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Harvest apples – and memories – at local orchards."