It’s September, which means Long Island apple picking season is here! Find out all you need to know about Apple Picking at Woodside Orchards, Aquebogue, NY.
On Long Island, September is ideal apple picking time. As soon as school is back in session, we get out our calendars and fill up our Saturdays with all of our favorite fall activities.
Over the years, we’ve learned (the hard way) that if you wait until October to go apple picking on Long Island, you may just find yourself empty handed. Many of the orchards get picked clean by late-October and then all your left with is pumpkin picking, which is oodles of fun, but just not the same as apple picking.
With this in mind, we headed “Out East” over the weekend and set our sights on an orchard that we’ve never tried before, Woodside Orchards, in Aquebogue, NY. This quaint little orchard is right on Main Street and if you blink, you’ll miss it, which is part of its charm. With several rows of semi-dwarf trees, this orchard is ideal for families with younger kids. Our 4 and 6 year old gremlins had no problem finding loads of ripe apples to pick from and loved the woodsy feel of the location.
Woodside Orchards rotates the “rows” (or varieties) that are open for picking each weekend, so there’s always an abundance of apples to choose from. But, if you have your heart set on a certain variety, it’s always best to call the orchard first to find out if that variety is up for picking. We lucked out with two apple varieties that we’ve never picked before – Idared and Mutsu – both of which are super tasty!
After spending some quality family time in the orchard, make sure to stop by the kitchen and treat yourself to an Apple Cider Slushie and some monster-sized chocolate chip cookies. You won’t be disappointed!
P.S. Woodside Orchards also has a Jamesport location with different varieties available for picking, so make sure to check out their web site’s U-Pick section to see which location has what you’re looking for.
Here’s what else you need to know:
Pros: The Aquebogue location is nice and small, which means there aren’t tons of people to deal with; semi-dwarf trees only reach 10′ at most, so little kids can pick too; small size is great for keeping tabs on your little “runners”; fairly shady; porta potty on the premises.
Cons: You’re in and out of the orchard within an hour’s time, so you’ll want to have other plans, but it’s close to other neighboring attractions like corn mazes, pumpkin stands, etc.
What to bring: your camera; anti-bacterial hand cleanser; extra toilet paper / wipes (just in case!); cash for the kitchen.
Admission: The Aquebogue location is open for U-pick seven days a week. Jamesport is open for U-pick on the weekends and certain holiday’s only. $15 gets you a (1) one peck bag full of apples. Open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, click here.
Location: 729 Main Road, Aquebogue, NY 11931 OR 116 Manor Lane, Jamesport, NY 11901
Happy apple picking,
Denine
So you went to the orchard and picked close to 800 apples. Now what? Well, we have some awesome tools for you that will help make all of that peeling, coring and slicing so much easier for you! (Affiliate links follow – there is no additional mark up to you – but we may receive a small commission from your sale. Thank you in advance for supporting our site!)
I used to peel mine by hand until I found this beauty. Aside from it being one of my favorite colors, it just makes sense. We go apple picking every year, and I’m always the one stuck peeling 800 apples by hand.
Even though I love my beauty above, sometimes, you just need something simpler. This peeler and corer set does the job nicely. I really love the grips on the handles — they help keep my hands from slipping when I’m pushing down on the corer. This little combo set makes packing apple slices in the kids’ lunch boxes much faster than using a knife – plus you waste less apple this way.
Please tell me you’re going to make slowcooker applesauce with your apples! Or, overnight steel cut oats? How about some slowcooker pork loin with apple slices?! Wait, what? You don’t have a crockpot?! Oh no! My crockpot is the most used appliance in the house and I highly recommend this one.
And last but not least, how about a stylish apron to make you feel like a domestic diva in the kitchen? I heart aprons and this one is just so pretty!
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