"Do what you loved to do as a kid."
It's a guiding principle in Gretchen Rubin's memoir/guide that tells of her year-long pursuit of happiness. Even though it's been a few years since I've read her book, this notion comes back to me all the time. These are great words to live by.
Two things I loved to do as a kid? Apple picking and photo adventures.
This post is about both of those things. Plus, slowing down and taking a breather from city-life on a Sunday afternoon.
I've also got 5 tasty reasons why you should go on your own pick-your-own adventure this season.
Hope you enjoy the gratuitous apple-packed fall-themed photos featuring the small but lovely Jones Creek Farms, located in Sedro-Woolley, Washington.
Here are my 5 favorite reasons for doing a pick-your-own apple adventure this fall:
1. You'll get the freshest produce straight from the source.
Food just tastes better when you know exactly where it came from.
The less distance it has to travel from the ground to your mouth the better. Not to mention that there's much less time between harvest and getting to your home, so you'll notice the food you've picked yourself keeps for much longer in the fridge.
Plus, food is tastiest when it doesn't require a bunch of energy to grow, store and transport it to you when it's out of season.
2. You'll save money while stocking your fridge.
Pick-your-own is like bulk-goods shopping for produce - it's almost always cheaper than buying pre-packaged, branded goods from the supermarket.
And since you're the one doing the harvesting, there's less manual labor cost involved to complete the task. Which is why it's cheaper.
In some cases, it's more than half the price per pound you'd pay for the same apple in your grocery store.
3. You'll get to embrace seasonal cooking for months to come.
If you're heading out to pick-your-own produce, you're likely going to come home with a boatload of it. Every time we go apple picking I come home with at least 20 pounds of apples.
Apples will keep in the crisper for a long time, but since you've picked so many, why not use them to make applesauce, or apple butter, or apple pie filling? Pop a few jars in the freezer and pull them out during the coldest winter months. Or perhaps an early spring apple crisp?
It can sometimes make a world of difference to my mood to be able to savor a memory or a flavor from a sunnier day, especially during the darkest rainiest winter days here in Seattle.
4. You'll support your local farmers.
Farmers everywhere bust their butts to provide their communities with the best, most nourishing foods they can possibly reap from the land they own. Their livelihoods are at the mercy of mother nature (an early frost, a caterpillar infestation, DEER, etc) and they do it all for us.
It's a really nice experience to be able to get out to a farm and peek behind the curtain to see how it all happens. It's almost like magic. And it makes you appreciate the food, the flavors, that much more.
5. You'll get fresh air and a fun experience to remember.
Seriously. Fresh air does the body good (much better than milk!). And this is a great way to embrace the change of the seasons, sip a freshly brewed hot apple cider and have a day for the memory books.
It's hard to imagine that you need real convincing to take part in one of America's favorite autumnal pastimes, but now you can feel even better about your choice to go. Happy apple picking. Cheers to the harvest!
TL;DR: 5 Reasons To Pick-Your-Own Apples This Fall
- You'll get the freshest produce straight from the source.
- You'll save money while stocking your fridge.
- You'll get to embrace seasonal cooking for months to come.
- You'll support your local farmers.
- You'll get fresh air and a fun experience to remember.
Our Favorite Places To Go Apple Picking
If you're in the western Washington state area, these are a couple of the pick-your-own apple orchards we've tried thus far, and a few that have been on our list for another day. The perk is that they're all under 2 hours' drive from Seattle so, in my opinion, they're perfect for a day trip out to the country.
Bellewood Acres
This apple orchard is huge and super family friendly! Go on a weekday if you can or else be prepared for crowds. We've spent a couple seasons visiting Bellewood Acres and they really do have delicious apples. They also have a full cafe, an indoor lunch area, fresh apple cider doughnuts, a pumpkin patch and plenty of other activities. It's really a great destination for a day trip. Take me back!
Jones Creek Farms
This farm is completely the other end of the spectrum from Bellewood. It's tiny and doesn't have as many bells and whistles. However, we were greeted with free, fresh and hot apple cider when we arrived and we didn't have to duck through hordes of other people picking apples. It was a beautiful sunny day and walking down the rows of apple trees was pretty peaceful.
Honorable mentions
We haven't been to these yet but, as I mentioned above, they're within striking distance from Seattle and would be great for a day trip.
Where's your favorite farm to go apple picking? What's your favorite autumnal activity? Let us know in the comments! <3
More photos from our apple picking adventure...
