One Bite At A Time

When Labor Day has come and gone and Columbus Day is just around the corner, something begins to nag on nostalgic American hearts.  With the promise of cool nights, rowdy football games, and gorgeous foliage, something stirs within us.  We begin to yearn for fresh apple pie, perfectly gnarly pumpkins, and insanely terrifying haunted houses:  the signposts of Autumn in the Northeast.

Maybe the farmer’s markets are beginning to shut down, the tomatoes aren’t quite as succulent, and the days not as sunny . . . But people, we live in The Garden State.  It may be hard to remember in the hustle and bustle of greater New Brunswick, but Jersey is called that for a reason.  Since the beginning of its history, it has been abundant with fertile soil and plentiful fields of all varieties.

Sometimes, we just have to be willing to take a little time and go a little out of the way (a very little) to reach the pot of gold. Although most farms in the state only grow apples and pumpkins, many feature Fall Markets that carry a full range of produce along with gourmet products including apple and nut butters, maple syrup, and fresh baked goods.

Courtesy of UMC Missouri

Many of the larger farms also host family friendly activities: harvest festivals, hay rides, and corn mazes, and offer traditional refreshments including hot dogs, soda, and pretzels mixed in with seasonal favorites such as apple cider donuts and candy or caramel apples.

If you’re not sure where you want to start your Pick-Your-Own journey, a good idea is to stop at the Highland Park Farmer’s Market.  Several of the vendors, including Donaldson Farms and Von Thun’s, feature Pick-Your-Own crops.  A trip to the farmer’s market will allow you to sample the goods and get more information from inside sources.

My favorite Pick-Your-Own happens to be one of the closest to our hometown of Highland Park.  Terhune Orchards in Princeton has been owned by the same family for over 30 years, and although at two separate locations, has both apples and pumpkins available for the picking or straight out of their own farm store. Although picking season wraps up at the end of October, the farm and store are open year round. Terhune also provides great opportunities for entertaining children all year long, such as the farm’s one mile long nature trail. For directions and to learn more about the farm, visit www.terhuneorchards.com.  Check out their Fall Family Fun Weekends and the best apple cider donuts and slushies you’ve ever had, any weekend through October 25.

Just half an hour in almost any direction, will lead you to a fun, affordable, and green family activity that will not only yield tons of delicious goodies including, fresh apples, a multitude of pumpkin varieties, and unbelievably tantalizing pies, donuts, and cider.  Not only that, but by visiting any of the numerous Pick-Your-Own farms New Jersey has to offer, you are also supporting the local economy and helping out the small family owned farms that are becoming so few and far between in our nation.

And when you return home with armfuls of some of the most amazing apples in all of the country, stay tuned into www.onebiteatatimewithshayne.wordpress.com for ideas on how to use them all up.