Categories: Local & Entertainment; Eat & Drink

Everything Apples in Boston

By mswen
updated 2 months ago

September marks the start of apple picking season in New England, which means apples are in the trees and on the brain and in abundance everywhere you turn. And while fall is the perfect time to take advantage of this fabulous bounty, apples in general deserve a big ol' standing ovation. WHY* do you think Gwyneth named her daughter after this biblical fruit?!

*Actually, I have no idea why.

Let's go apple picking!

One of the best ways to enjoy early fall is to go apple picking. Not only will you get to experience a New England day at its finest, but you’ll be able to bring home the literal fruits of your labor. And what’s better than knowing you’re also supporting a local farm with your efforts?

So instead of hitting the bar on Saturday afternoon (I know, I know…you want to watch the game), hop in the car and head to the orchard.

Honey Pot Hill Orchards

144 Sudbury Rd, Stow, MA 01775

Quite possibly the most family-friendly destination ever, Honey-Pot Hill is admittedly a zoo on the weekends. Their hay rides, hedge maze, and petting zoo are a huge draw for parents looking for a great spot to bring the kids; so, if you’re kid-less, you’ll need to bear with the crowd or go during a weekday. Either way, you’ll be thrilled that you’ve made the trip to this little slice of New England heaven: the orchards are chock full of goodness (with ladders to help you reach them), and their farm store has, among other things, the most amazing, fresh-baked cider donuts.

Cider Hill Farm

45 Fern Ave, Amesbury, MA 01913

Walk (or hitch a hay ride) to the quiet apple orchards of this 145-acre farm, and you’ll immediately feel a sense of peacefulness in your surroundings as you wander through the trees and gather your fruit. The farm is powered by wind turbines, so you’re not only supporting a local farm, but a green business, too. Psst – their apple cider is award-winning and considered the best in Massachusetts. Don’t leave without a jug.

Nashoba Valley Winery

92 Wattaquadock Hill Rd, Bolton, MA 01740

Apple picking and wine: can it get any better? With over 90 varietals of apples, you’re sure to leave with bags full of amazing, exotic fruit with names you’ve never heard of. And afterwards? Take a tour of their wine-making facility (which concludes with a tasting) and end your day like a true locavore.

Wilson Farm Inc

10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA 02421

Shopping at Wilson Farms farm stand is the next-best thing to picking your own fruit. Open year-round, and a two-time “Best of Boston” winner, be ready to drop some dollars on some of the most amazing produce you’ll ever see, as well as to-die-for bread and meats.

Duh: Apples are super-healthy for us.

The old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is actually right – studies show that in order to get the full nutritional benefits associated with eating apples you should eat at least one fresh apple every day. Those benefits include:

Lower blood cholesterol
Improved lung and bowel function
A reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma
Weight loss (each apple contains about 5 grams of fiber, which aids in digestion and promotes weight loss)
Protection against cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss
A potentially decreased risk of cancer and heart disease

GET EATING!

What do I DO with all of these apples?

Hooray! You sacrificed one of your precious weekend days and spent the afternoon picking apples. (Wasn’t it fun?!) Or, you made the trip to a local farm stand or farmer’s market. Either way, most likely you’ve now got a lot of apples. Hopefully you even like apples. (I guess I should have asked first.) But no worries! I’m here to help show you how to use them. All.

Let's start with the obvious: Apple Pie!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust.
Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Now for the not-so-obvious: Prosciutto and Brie Calzone with Apple

INGREDIENTS:

Dough (home made or store-bought)
1/2 pound prosciutto, chopped into bite size pieces
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped fine
4 ounces Brie cheese
10 fresh sage leaves, cut into long, thin strips
Egg wash
Cornmeal, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. (If you don’t have a stone, simply grease a baking pan.)
Roll or spread the dough into a circle. Leave the dough slightly thick so that the filling will not ooze out.
Lay the prosciutto, apples, Brie, and sage onto the dough round and brush the outer edge with egg wash to help form a seal. Fold dough over to enclose the filling and form a large turnover. Roll up the edges with your fingers to close tightly and prevent leaking.
Cut a few slashes in the top to allow steam to escape during baking and brush with egg wash.
Sprinkle the pizza stone (or prepared baking pan) with cornmeal and carefully transfer the calzone. Bake directly on pizza stone for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Let the calzone rest for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to set.

Make floating apple votives!

Done bobbing? Have leftover floaters? Turn them into an awesome, rustic display of floating candles.

With the apples floating in the water, simply take a Sharpie marker and mark a dot at the top part of the apple that’s sticking out of the water. Take the apple out of the water, place a tea light over the dot, and trace around the base of the tea light onto the apple. Cut out the tracing with a knife (be careful, please!), making sure that the circle is also deep enough to accomodate the depth of the tea light.

When you’re done, squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto the hole to keep the apple from turning brown, insert your tea light, place the apple back into the tub of water, and light the candle. Admire.