| Days and Hours Open
Please note our modified days and hours open to accommodate grape picking for the next several weeks:
Wednesday – 8 am to 6 pm
Thursday – 8 am to 6 pm
Friday – 8 am to 6 pm
Saturday – 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday – 9 am to 4 pm
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Closed
Call us at (269) 244-5690 or check for updates on our website: www.coreylakeorchards.com |
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| We are looking forward to the official start of Fall this Sunday – and hoping for more fall-like weather! The heat is hard on the fall crops, and all of us working on the market, orchards, vineyards, and fields!! And for all of you, coming to the farm to pick apples, grapes or pumpkins, it isn’t as much fun when it is so hot!
This is a great time of year to stop by and see us! We have a number of colorful fall ornamentals on display for you to enjoy viewing and taking a quick family photo. The giant pumpkins are here, grown in Three Rivers by Keith Whitford, weighing in at 608, 595, and 505 pounds! And the Spookley storyboards are out for you to read.
Apple cider is back and there’s nothing like it on a hot day. Weekends are fun for families with donuts and apple picking (see information below). The u-pick Pumpkin Patch opens this weekend also.
So, stop by and enjoy Fall on the Farm! We look forward to seeing you soon! |
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| We enjoyed meeting this family this past weekend! |
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| Please watch the newsletter and website for updates on specific varieties and u-pick information throughout the season. Keep in mind that apples are starting and ending earlier this year due to the heat. Watch for your favorite varieties so you don’t miss them!
Already Picked
Current apples on the market: Cortland, Early Fuji (not the later variety, keeping kind), Gala, Golden/Yellow Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Jonamac, Jonathan, McIntosh, Northern Spy. See descriptions of these varieties at the end of the newsletter.
Below a bin of Jonathan. |
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Apple Cider
We now have apple cider in gallons and half gallons. This year our cider is being done for us by our local friends at Schultz’s Fruitridge Farm. The cider is not pasteurized, but is UV treated. Keep refrigerated and use within a week.
U-Pick Apples
This weekend the u-pick apple orchard will have: Cameo (few), Cortland (few), Crimson Gala, Empire (few), Golden Supreme (few), Ida Red, Jonathan (few), Red Delicious, Red Jonagold, Snowsweet, Spartan (few), Yellow Delicious, and Winter Banana. See descriptions of these varieties at the end of the newsletter.
See the webpage for more details on our u-pick apples.
- Saturday – Orchard opens at 9:30 am, must be finished by 5:30 pm
- Sunday – Orchard opens at 9:30 am, must be finished by 3:30 pm.
- Check in at the market to prepay, get directions, and get your picking bag(s).
- Need to pick a minimum of one peck
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| The grapes are open for U-Pick now. Due to the heat, they started earlier and could end earlier. We recommend you come sooner rather than later. We grow two varieties of seeded grapes, ideal for juicing, jelly, and wine – Niagara (white) and Concord (blue). We have a decent crop of Niagara but the Concord will be lighter this year due to late spring frost damage. The Concords have been open for one day, and so far people have been satisfied with the picking and availability of the grapes.
Already Picked
We will have both available on the market in small quantities soon. Please call the market at 269-244-5690 to place orders for bushels and half bushels.
U-Pick
Both grape varieties are available for u-pick. We have modified our days and hours open to accommodate grape picking.
Picking is by reservation only. At this time we are only scheduling through September until we see how long the season will last.
Reservation days and times:
Wednesday: 8 am to last at Noon, 3 pm to last at 5:30 pm, must be done by 7 pm.
Thursday: 8 am to last at Noon, 3 pm to last at 4:30 pm, must be done by 6 pm.
Friday: 8 am to last at Noon, 3 pm to last at 4:30 pm, must be done by 6 pm.
Saturday: 9 am to last at 4:30 pm, must be done by 6 pm.
Sunday: 9 am to last at 2:30 pm, must be done by 4 pm.
Please see our grape u-pick webpage for more information on how to pick, what to bring, what to wear, pricing, and the link to the reservation system.
The pricing will be the same as last year. You will need to pick a minimum of one 5-gallon bucket (20 pounds). |
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| We will open the Pumpkin Patch starting this weekend for those who wish to pick their own pumpkin. They are priced by size. The pumpkins in the field have been precut, so you just need to select the one(s) you want and carry them to your vehicle.
Please note that the pumpkins are early this year, and Halloween is still Oct. 31. To make your pumpkin last until then, you will need to keep it out of direct sunlight and as cool as possible. Do not carve it until Halloween. |
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| Fall Apples – Many varieties, available from quarter peck to bushels. Honeycrisp available in quarter-pecks and half pecks.
Bartlett Pears – quarter pecks, half pecks, just a few left.
Grapes – Concord (blue) and Niagara (white) sold in quart and 2-quart boxes. Also bushels and half bushels, best if ordered ahead.
Bankson Lake Produce – Fresh vegetables: Just Lettuce, Spicy Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, lettuce heads, kale, garlic, radishes and mushrooms. The lettuces are prewashed, bagged, and ready to use.
Sweet Onions and Shallots – Our sweet candy onions are cured and available individually and in 5- and 10-pound mesh bags. Shallots are sold by the bunch.
Hard Winter Squash for eating and decorating – Specialty squash: delicata, spaghetti, mashed potato, baked potato, sweet dumpling, carnival. Fall squash: acorn, buttercup, butternut.
Fall Ornamentals – Stacking and specialty pumpkins ready for fall decorating along with mini bundles of colored popcorn and full-sized colored corn, assorted mums, and gourds. |
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Baked Goods
In our freezer section, just “bake and enjoy”:
— Fruit pies in assorted farm fresh flavors.
— Stromboli’s – various types in breakfast, sandwich, and pizza styles.
Freshly baked:
— Assorted cookies, breads, muffins
— Donuts in Fall flavors – buttermilk, pumpkin, and apple, available Saturday and Sunday.
— Iced yeast donut rings decorated with sprinkles and “googly eyes”, available Saturday and Sunday. |
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Alcohol
Check out our assortment of alcohol products – wine, hard ciders, and spirits. Our products are made on-site in small batches. We distill the brandies on the farm and use our fresh apple cider as the basis for fermenting our hard ciders.
We will have hard cider and wine tasting this Sunday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on the market.
To welcome Fall, try one of our semi-dry wines!
–Unwinding Rose’, a white zinfandel Rose’ style that is semi-dry and fruity with berry character that brightens any occasion. Chill a bottle, open. and let the unwinding begin.
–Full House White, a semi-dry white full-bodied wine that bursts with ripe apple and pear flavor; serve chilled alone, with sweet to spicy entrees. or with a fruit dessert
–Bramblin’ Raspberry Rose, a semi-sweet, full on fruit wine that will tickle your taste buds just like its ever-spreading brambles trickle over one’s yard. |
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Grocery
We have local grocery products we know you will enjoy. As we transition to Fall, we are focusing on items that you will want to have handy for the winter months, like honey. We still have other grocery items in stock, but we will not be reordering them.
- Amish made jams, jellies, and salsas, made by Scherger’s Kettle, Shipshewana
- Pure honey from bees buzzing just a couple of miles away at Babcock’s Apiary.
- Maple syrup products including Barrel-Aged Bourbon Maple Syrup (non-alcoholic) made by Maple Row Sugarhouse using our bourbon barrels.
- Sunflower oil and butters
- Olipop prebiotic sodas
- Pork products from Jake’s Country Meats, Jones.
Limited stock:
- Gluten-free items from Gluten Free Sensations, Three Rivers. Find cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, granola and more in the freezer section.
- Olive oil, vinegar, and salad dressings
- Snacking items: potato and tortilla chips, sweet potato chips, crackers, pretzels, flavored mustards, and snacking cheese.
- Locally made vanilla ice cream from Plainwell Ice Cream
- Dried cherries and blueberries, dark and milk chocolate covered cherries
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Gifts
Check out our wide range of hand-crafted gift items and original artwork, most of it made by our local artisans.
- Paintings
- Jewelry
- Kitchen items
- Tote and shopping bags
- Candles
- Note cards
- Seasonal lakeside living gifts
- Corey Lake Orchard branded items – golf balls, insulated bags, notebooks, coffee cups, key chains, magnets, shirts
- Corey Lake Orchard gift certificates
New Apple Story Book
New on the market is The Apple that Fell Far From the Tree is a humorous and heartwarming picture book that celebrates the courage to be different and the enduring bonds that connect us to our roots. We have the book and the plush. |
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| Apple Variety Descriptions |
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Already Picked:
Cortland. Slightly tart, great for eating, cooking, and baking, a descendent of the McIntosh and slightly sweeter, juices well.
Early Fuji. Sweet flavor with a low acid content, good for all purpose use like snacking, baking, and cooking
Gala. A great eating and cooking apple, a crisp snappy bite over a mellow sweetness.
Golden/Yellow Delicious: A gingery-smooth, sweet taste under a thin skin. It is the most popular yellow apple, good eaten fresh, baked or cut in salads. Makes a nice apple sauce and many people use for canning pie filling.
Honeycrisp. A popular favorite, crisp, an excellent sweet flavor with a “bite” to it, great for eating fresh or using in salads.
Jonagold: Superbly crisp and juicy with shades of tart and sweet in each apple, very large and aromatic. Cross between a Jonathan and Golden Delicious.
Jonamac. A good cooking or eating apple, combines the best qualities of a Jonathan and a MacIntosh, a favorite for apple sauce.
Jonathan. Pretty and popular, used for fresh eating and cooking, a favorite for apple butter and taffy apples.
McIntosh. An old time favorite, aromatic, juicy, sweet, and tangy tart, makes good applesauce.
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”.
U-Pick:
Cameo. A firm, crisp, and sweet apple that resists browning. Great for fresh eating, applesauce, or baking. Keeps well in your refrigerator.
Cortland. Slightly tart, great for eating, cooking, and baking, a descendent of the McIntosh and slightly sweeter, juices well.
Crimson Gala. An intense-coloring strain of Gala with a bright, cherry red color. Has the characteristics of a Gala; great for eating and cooking
Empire. Red with a few white tints, creamy white interior. They are juicy and sweet. A cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh.
Golden Supreme. A medium sized apple with a sweet juicy flavor. It is good for drying, baking, and making cider. It can be kept for months in refrigerated storage.
Golden/Yellow Delicious: A gingery-smooth, sweet taste under a thin skin. It is the most popular yellow apple, good eaten fresh, baked or cut in salads. Makes a nice apple sauce and many people use for canning pie filling.
Ida Red. Good for fresh eating or cooking. Tastes both tangy and tart. Crispy and juicy. Favored for sauces, pies and desserts. Texture holds up well when baked.
Jonathan. Pretty and popular, used for fresh eating and cooking, a favorite for apple butter and taffy apples.
Red Delicious. A favorite, best for fresh eating and snacks, full-flavored sweet taste, crisp texture.
Red Jonagold: Very hard and tart, large and aromatic. Cross between a Jonathan and Golden Delicious.
Snow Sweet. Has a bronzed red blush and crisp crunch. Its flavor is a rich sweet, buttery flavor with a bit of tartness to balance it out. The flesh is slower to oxidize than many varieties, so it can last a bit longer when raw. Best used for fresh eating.
Spartan. A cross between a Macintosh and an unknown variety, a bit smaller in size, aromatic and crisp white flesh, juicy, good for fresh eating, cooking, and juicing.
Winter Banana. A large yellow apple with a pink blush. Crispy, juicy, sweet, and aromatic with a tropical scent. Used for fresh eating. Careful – it bruises easily. |
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Thank you for your continued support and for buying local.
Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards wishes you a blessed and bountiful Fall!
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