It’s October and apple picking time in New England. And aren’t we glad that the apples come into season in Fall? Picking at Norway Hill Orchard in New Hampshire is such a treat. Not only does it have a view of Mt. Monadnock, but the hill is a beautiful place to visit. Lovely old (and new) homes line the drive up to the top where the orchard is home to some trees that are over 100 years old.
My neighbor and I headed to Hancock (New Hampshire) mid-day on Thursday, October 3rd, in hopes that it wouldn’t be too crowded, and it wasn’t. But the car paths and “parking” signs we saw as we walked to the through the orchard, told of the many visitors that come on the weekends.
The stand near the road has bagged up apples ready to sell, but we wanted to pick our own. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with temps in the 70’s, so we were not in a hurry. The man at the stand gave us directions to find the Macintosh trees, and also the Courtlands, if we wanted them.
The first trees we found were pretty much picked clean, but after walking further we found trees that were just loaded with gorgeous fruit. The bags fill up fast, and we stuffed them to overflowing. At $10.50 for a peck, it’s not exactly cheap to pick your own apples, but they are as fresh as you can get, and it’s a once in a year treat.
Save money by choosing to fill up the bag with “drops”. Gather apples off the ground, which are still good, but much less money. It’s an honor system, but I think the man could tell if you lied and said they were drops but they weren’t. He looked at our bags and said, Oh, you picked from the trees. He’s an expert!
We asked about the Macouns which would be coming in next, and he handed each of us one to try. I may go back if my bag empties too soon from all the pies, muffins, pancakes, and crisps I’ll be making.
New England's Narrow Road 