The Happy Earth Orchard

Apple Picking

Apple Orchard

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Select Apple Types

Availability
Dates
Taste
Texture
Activities
Origin

Akane

The Akane, sometimes known as the Tokyo Rose, is a Japanese cultivar that is one of the best early-season eating apples. It has an unusually good balance of sweet and sharp flavors. The flesh is firm rather than crisp, but with plenty of juice.

Now Picking
Taste:Sweet, Sharp
Usage:Eating, Baking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):1

Prime Gold

This apple was developed to resemble the Washington State Golden Delicious. It has smooth skin, and it does not have the rust that Michigan Golden Delicious apples have. Its color is yellow-green, and it develops a pink blush if left on the trees long enough. It is excellent for eating, baking, or apple juice. When used for baking, less sugar will be needed.

Now Picking
Taste:Sweet
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Baking
Storage (Weeks):1

Whitney Crab

Whitney Crab apples are one of the few crabapples that are great for eating out of hand.

Now Picking
Taste:Sweet
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):4

Zestar!®

The Zestar!® apple is a solid early apple, with a sweet-tart taste and a hint of brown sugar flavoring. It has a nice texture for cooking. For an early-season apple, the taste is very good, and it also has a good shelf-life of a couple of months.

Now Picking
Taste:Sweet, Sharp
Usage:Eating, Baking, Cooking, Sauces
Storage (Weeks):8

Honeycrisp

The Honeycrisp is a juicy and instantly refreshing apple. As its name suggests this is genuinely a crisp/crunchy apple. However, since the flesh is quite light, the crunch is surprisingly soft. These apples keep very well in cold storage and retain their crispness. Interestingly it appears that the flavor can improve for 7-10 days after being taken out of the cold.

Now Picking
Taste:Sweet, Refreshing
Usage:Eating, Drying
Storage (Weeks):24

Enterprise

Enterprise apples are a glossy red color, ripening in late October. They can be stored for 3-6 months in a domestic fridge. The skin is quite thick and tough. Whilst Enterprise is good for eating fresh, it is perhaps better as a cooking apple where its tart flavor can be used to advantage.

Out of Season
Taste:Sharp, Tart
Usage:Eating, Baking, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):24

Jonathan

A classic American variety, and widely regarded as one of the best flavored apples with a good sweet/sharp balance. Exceptional Pie Apple!

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Sharp, Vinous
Usage:Eating, Baking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):1
Fortune Apple

Fortune

This apple has a unique spicy flavor with a yellow flesh.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Tart, Spicy
Usage:Eating, Juicing
Storage (Weeks):16

Empire

Empire is a sweet apple with a crisp texture and bright white flesh. Although Empire can be stored for a short period, it is best when eaten straight from the tree. It has the characteristic and unusual McIntosh flavor, often described in apple textbooks as “vinous”. Perhaps the best way to describe it is like a hint of melon or pineapple or elderflower.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Sharp, Vinous
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Drying
Storage (Weeks):3

Cortland

As with all McIntosh varieties, Cortland is at its best when eaten soon after being picked. The sweet flavor fades quickly, as does the crispness. An interesting characteristic of Cortland is that the flesh does not go brown very rapidly after being cut.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Vinous
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Baking, Cooking, Sauces, Drying
Storage (Weeks):1

Fireside

Crisp, sweet, juicy greenish-white to yellow flesh. The Fireside apple is an excellent eating apple.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Juicy
Usage:Eating
Storage (Weeks):1

Keepsake

Strongly aromatic flavor and very hardy. The Keepsake apple mellows with age. Attains peak fresh eating quality in January or February. Keeps well in storage through April.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Sharp, Aromatic
Usage:Eating, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):24

Macoun

A unique “honeyed” flavor makes this all-around great apple an exceptional eating apple.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Aromatic, Honeyed
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):1

McIntosh

Many consider McIntosh to be the North American GOAT. Some argue that most of its offspring are actually better apples, however, for many Mac enthusiasts, only the original will do.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Sharp, Vinous, Aromatic
Usage:Eating, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):8

Paula Red

This apple is unique as it’s not a result of careful development. It was found by chance growing next to McIntosh trees. Although its parentage is not certain, the McIntosh is believed to be in this apple’s family tree as this bright red apple exhibits some of the desirable McIntosh qualities.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Tart
Usage:Eating, Baking, Cooking, Sauces
Storage (Weeks):4

Cripps Pink

A very unique pink apple. You’ll have to wait around for this one as it’s not going to be ready for picking until late in the season, but this great eating apple is worth the wait.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Sharp, Aromatic
Usage:Eating
Storage (Weeks):12

SnowSweet®

SnowSweet® is becoming increasingly popular because of its delightful sweet taste, with a slight tart balance and rich overtones. Plus, it has a unique characteristic that consumers love. The fruit’s snowy white flesh is very slow to turn brown after cutting. SnowSweet® can be sliced for snacking or cut for salads well in advance and dishes maintain an appetizing appearance. This is a great late-season treat.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Tart, Buttery
Usage:Eating, Cooking
Storage (Weeks):6

Haralson

Another hearty apple from UofM. This one was introduced way back in 1922. Firm texture with a complex tart flavor. Haralsons are a great choice for pies.

Out of Season
Taste:Tart
Usage:Eating, Baking, Cooking
Storage (Weeks):20

Spartan

Spartan is a small sweet apple and a favorite with children. It is very much a “McIntosh” style apple, bright crimson skin and whiter-than-white flesh. Straight from the tree, the flesh is very crisp and juicy, but it softens a bit within a week or so of picking – although remaining juicy. This is also a good variety for juicing – the juice color is not especially remarkable but the flavor is sweet and pleasant.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Vinous, Aromatic
Usage:Eating, Juicing, Drying
Storage (Weeks):1

Red Free

Why is this apple called “Red free”? It is definitely not free of the color red. The name “red” comes from the the red color that is found in the apple. Free in this case is believed to be referring to this apples’ resistance to disease. As all apples, it’s good for eating, but it’s mostly desired for cooking.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet, Tart
Usage:Cooking
Storage (Weeks):4

Wolf River

A well-known American cooking apple, notable for its large size. Wolf River is mainly used for cooking as it keeps its shape when cooked. It is fairly sweet and doesn’t need much sugar added.

Out of Season
Taste:Sweet
Usage:Baking, Cooking, Drying
Storage (Weeks):8

Our Story

In 2012, as a newly engaged couple, we attended the Bayfield Applefest.  While visiting one of the orchards during a beautiful fall day, Shawn expressed a romantic and whimsical thought that it would be fun to own an apple orchard someday. Little did we know, this harmless idea planted a seed that would come to bear fruit 8 years later.


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Apple Orchard