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| By Lisa VanWilliams |
My family started off yesterday with no intentions of apple picking, and we ended up picking apples on a misty Fall morning on a hillside in the middle of Connecticut and it was a wonderfully impulsive choice. Connecticut is filled with tons of small farms and every region has an orchard or two to choose from. We did a Google search in the car and quickly found this place within 15 minutes driving distance from where we were. Since it wasn't the greatest of mornings as far as weather was concerned, we had the place to ourselves and it was beautiful. It's nestled up on the hillside and it has little market with fresh produce when you drive into the farm. A short walk up a hill and there is an orchard filled with an assortment of apple trees. The apples are ready, delicious, and plentiful. I can't even tell you how many varieties there are, there were that many.
High Hill Orchards is a family owned farm and they offer a variety of seasonal fruits, veggies, and other high quality products. They use ground and sea supplements to "support the health of plants without endangering the soil they grow in or the people who eat them". Thanks High Hill!
They are located a few minutes off I-91 and about 15 minutes from the Merritt Parkway. We always try to support our local farmers when we can. We left with soggy wet feet and no change of clothes, but the kids were proudly nibbling on apples they picked themselves in the back seat on the drive out. You can find out more about them here:
http://highhillorchard.info/Home_Page.php
If you are looking for an incredible apple pie, try this out !! 6,615 five star reviews. I must confess I did add vanilla, and cinnamon. My daughter was very happy helping me make pie for after dinner, but then she wouldn't even try a bite (that's normal for 4 year olds), she did tell me it smelled good though.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/12682/apple-pie-by-grandma-ople/
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| My kids running up the Chestnut tree-lined farm road |
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| The evening aftermath.... |