We are picking the last of the apples – Red Rome, Pink Lady, and Goldrush – making the last cider and donuts for the year, continuing Orchard Cleanup of the remaining apples, and wrapping up our day-to-day farm market operation.  From now through Sunday is your chance to stock up on squash, apples, onions, cider, donuts, frozen pies, and more before year end.

We will be open our regular days and hours through Sunday, October 30. 

Starting November 5 through December 17 will be open on Saturdays only from 9 am to 3 pm.  You can also shop by appointment – call: 269-244-5690.

Pie Pumpkins  

Today is National Pumpkin Day!  To celebrate our pie pumpkins are now $2 (half off).  These compact pumpkins are solidly packed and very easy to roast.  There are many delicious baked goods you can make with that wonderful pumpkin flavor – pies, muffins, bread, dip, cookies, soup, and much more.

They can also be decorated or painted for Halloween, rather than carved, and used later to eat.

Roasting a pumpkin is fairly effortless.  Brenda offers this advice – 1) microwave the pumpkin for several minutes to get it softer, making it easier to cut in half.  2) Scoop out the seeds and remove the “stringy” areas.  3) Place upside down on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until soft (about 45 minutes),  4) Let cool and scoop out the baked pumpkin.

Roasting a pumpkin is similar to cooking a squash.  And don’t forget about those wonderful seeds!!!  Roast them also.  Roasted pumpkin is easy to freeze, just put it in a freezer bag for use later.

Here are simple recipes for making your own Fresh Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Pie Using a Real Pumpkin (and using a store bought crust).

Thank you for buying our jack-o-lanterns!  They are sold out for the year.  We will have pie pumpkins available during our Seasonal Saturdays, until sold out.

Apple Gleaning / Orchard Clean Up 

Orchard Cleanup is underway.  There are apples to be picked that were left behind (skipped over) on the trees by our crew and apples on the ground.  Please note that the apples have excessive hail damage, however they are fine for processing, cider making, or animal feed.

  • Price is $8 a bushel
  • Minimum picking quantity of two (2) bushels
  • Sold in whole bushels only.  For example, if you pick 3.5 bushels, you will be charged for 4 bushels.
  • Hours – Orchard opens at 9 am, you must check in at the market by 4 pm to be allowed in, and finished by 5:30 pm
  • Please bring containers to take the apples home, you can borrow a bushel basket for measuring.
  • Check in and out at the market, do not go directly to the orchard.
  • You are welcome to bring a kitchen stool or small ladder; regular ladders are not allowed.
  • No climbing trees

Shop our “Hail of a Deal” on Apples!   

Already Picked Apples.  Due to the significant amount of hail damage to our apple crop this year we will have very few first quality apples.  Please note how we are selling the first and second quality this year.

  • First quality — quarter peck and half peck size bags only
  • Second quality or Processing apples — pecks and half bushel bags only, sold at reduced prices: $19 bushel; $11 half bushel; $7 peck.
  • Note Honeycrisp is priced differently.  Second quality: $38 Bushel, $19 half bushel; $13 peck, $6.50 half peck.  First quality: $13 half peck, $6.75 quarter peck.
  • We will not be taking any orders for apples in advance.  If we have what you want on hand, we will hold them for you upon request.
  • Animal Apples — lesser quality apples available as animal feed, available at the market for $4.50 a half bu.  Bring your own 5-gallon bucket or half bushel basket and get them for $4 a half bu.  These apples are bag your own.  We have lots of animal apples available now, so if you are looking for them in bulk, give us a call for pricing on a 20-bushel box.

Thanks to all of you who have been accepting of and buying our Processing apples!  Sadly, most of our apple crop was damaged and we appreciate you buying them and supporting our farm.

Apple Varieties Available Now

  • Braeburn:  Sweet with a hint of tart, and a firmness that stores well.  These traits plus the fact that they bake well have made them a very versatile apple.
  • Cameo:  A firm, crisp, and sweet apple that resists browning.  Great for fresh eating, applesauce, or baking.  Stores well in your refrigerator.
  • Cortland: A hint of tartness makes this a great baking variety, a descendent of the McIntosh.  This variety is a bit sweeter than its ancestor and juices well.
  • Fuji: Has a fantastic, sweet flavor with a low acid content.  An incredibly good keeper, it stays crisp for several weeks without even being refrigerated.  Excellent all-purpose use like snacking, baking, and cooking.
  • Gala: A great eating and cooking apple.  It has a crisp snappy bite over a mellow sweetness.  Very versatile, great for eating or cooking.
  • Golden Delicious:  A gingery-smooth, sweet taste under a thin skin.  It is the most popular yellow apple, good eaten fresh, baked or sliced in salads.  Makes a nice apple sauce and many people use for canning pie filling.
  • Goldrush.  Tart when initially harvested, but when kept in storage, the flavor balances, creating a sweet, acidic, and tangy taste.  A cross between Golden Delicious with Rome Beauty and Winesap.  Stores for months.  (Limited supply, available in half-pecks only).
  • Honeycrisp: A favorite of many!  It is crisp with an excellent sweet flavor and a “bite” to it.  Great for eating fresh or using in salads.
  • Ida Red:  Suits your every use!  Eat fresh or for cooking.  Taste is both tangy and tart.  Flesh is white, crisp and juicy.  Favored for sauces, pies and desserts.  Texture holds up well when baked.  (limited supply)
  • Jonathan:  Pretty and popular, used for fresh eating and cooking, a favorite for apple butter and taffy apples.
  • Mutsu:  Also called Crispin, it is a cross between Golden Delicious and the Japanese Indo apple.  It has a sweet-honeyed flavor mixed with sharp, tangy, and acidic notes.  They can be stored until spring. (limited supply)
  • Northern Spy: The professional baker’s dream, cooks up well in applesauce, pie and other dishes. Stores well, easy to remember by saying “Spies for pies”.  We should have them on the market starting Saturday.
  • Nu-Red: A crisp, tart, hard, crunchy apple.  An improved version of a Red Rome.  Good for fresh eating, applesauce, pies, and baking. This year these are the best ever for flavor, come try one, it might be your new favorite apple.  (limited supply)
  • Pink Lady: Medium size apple with a firm, crisp flesh, and a tart taste with a sweet finish.  Stores well.  (Limited supply, available in peck and smaller size bags only)
  • Red Delicious:  America’s most popular apple, known for the “five little bumps” on the bottom. Best for fresh eating and snacks.  Full-flavored sweet taste, yellowish flesh, and crisp texture.
  • Red Rome: A big, round, red apple right out of storybooks!  They have a mild, sweet flavor.  Popular for baking because it holds flavor and shape well.

Below are Red Rome and Pink Ladies – straight from the orchard!

What is the Difference between First and Second Quality Apples?

First quality apple bags will contain apples that are medium to large size, have few (1-2 minor hail marks or indents) or no blemishes, and may have full or partial color.  More apples than normal will lack full color this year because we picked them from the inside of the tree, where they were protected from the hail, but then were also shaded.  Those lacking color will still taste the same, they just look paler.

Second quality or Processing apples will be medium to large size and have multiple hail marks.  The marks will not be deep and can be easily cut out or eaten around.  If you are making applesauce or pies, cooking, freezing, canning, or baking these apples are perfect for your use.  They have the same flavor and are discounted – a much more economical way to get useable apples.  This is the first time we have sold processing apples as in the past we used all of them for our cider.

If you are new to processing apples (or any produce), you may want to check out the resources on our Food Preservation page on our website.

We are also selling food mills on the market; everyone must have one of these!  They are best way to make applesauce ever, without peeling!

Grape Update  

This week is the last chance to pick the remaining Concord (blue) and Niagara (white) grapes.  They have not frozen (yet) though more are split due to the recent rain.  The white Niagara grapes are very ripe, so you will need to pick over some of the overripe bunches.  Check the home page of our website or call for picking updates (269) 244-5690.  Vineyard hours are 9 am to 5:30 pm (must arrive by 4 pm).

Pricing for 2022 is:

  • $7 per 5-gallon bucket for 5 buckets or more (100 pounds, 35 cents per pound)
  • $14 per 5-gallon bucket for 2 to 4 buckets (70 cents per pound)
  • $18 per 5-gallon bucket for 1 bucket (90 cents per pound)
  • A 5-gallon bucket of grapes weighs approximately 20 pounds, and is also considered a half bushel

What is Available on the Market this Week    

  • Onions
  • Shallots
  • Squash – butternut, buttercup, acorn, and other fall varieties
  • Apples
  • Pears – Bosc
  • Niagara (white) juice grapes
  • Concord (blue) juice grapes

From Bankson Lake Farms

  • Arugula
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Lettuce blends
  • Mushrooms
  • Radishes
  • Spinach

Other Items

Sweet Onions.  Our sweet red and yellow onions are cured and bagged in 3-pound and 9-pound bags.  They are ready for you to pick up to use now or store for the winter.

Winter Squash Special.  Our winter squash – acorn, butternut, and buttercup – are on special.  Individual squash are 50 cents off their marked price or fill up one of our handle bags with squash of your choice (about 1/2 bushel and around 10 squash depending on the size) for $20.

U-Pick Herbs.  Any of the remaining herbs in our herb garden can be picked for $1.50 for a snack size bag.  Scissors and bags are on the market, see clerk for assistance.

Local Grocery Items.  Fresh products from our local suppliers – honey, maple syrup products, jams and jellies, salsa, eggs, and Jake’s meats.  It’s time to stock up!

Freshly pressed sweet apple cider.  It gets better every week as the apples get riper!  This is our last week for cider – get some now and freeze it for later!

Alcohol Products 

We have a nice selection of hard ciders, wine, and fruit brandy perfect for relaxing.

  • 8 total wines from red, white, dry to sweet
  • 8 total hard ciders from dry to sweet, made onsite
  • Various fruit brandies made onsite from various fruits
  • Rufus Rye, our new straight rye whiskey

We sell hard cider in singles, 4-packs, and 6-packs.  You may mix and match to make your own unique pack.

Below are our Sweet and Peach Pear ciders.

From the Bakery

Baked Goods.

  • Muffins: Apple Spice, and other flavors
  • Cookies: Assorted flavors
  • Breads: Italian, garlic, focaccia
  • Fruit pies: our signature “take and bake” fruit pies are a must have; find them in the freezer section

Holiday Pies. Plan now to pick up your “take and bake” pies to have ready for the Holidays!  Since we keep the freezer stocked, we will not be doing holiday orders, just come get them!  All our pies are made onsite and are 9-inch, frozen, and ready to bake.  Flavors include:  Apple-2 crust, Apple-Dutch, Blueberry, Cherry, Cherry Berry, Peach, Pumpkin, and Strawberry Rhubarb.

Strombolis:  Take and bake from our freezer, plus find Marinara sauce in the grocery section.  We have the pizza type and a quiche type for breakfast eating.

Donuts.  We are making our last donuts this Saturday and Sunday.  Stop by and pick up your favorite Fall flavor – Apple Cider, Pumpkin, and Buttermilk!

Happenings on the Farm 

See the big pumpkin!!  Once again, Keith Whitford of Three Rivers, grows large pumpkins and has given us a 359-pound beauty to display here at our farm for your enjoyment, awe, and a get a photo.

Spookley is back!  Take a moment to read the Spookley pumpkin story with its important anti-bullying message with your family.  The story boards are near the large pumpkin.

And when you snap your family picture by the old fire truck in our front yard, check out the Ciderella story.

Thank you for your continued support and for buying local.  Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards appreciates you!