hello october

welcome october!
  a brilliant selection of apples are plentiful and perfect for picking this month!

  
 something for every apple lover...
this weekend we will start picking the 

smoothies, russet and rhode island greening apples.
also available are

macintosh, jona gold, cortland, empire, royal gala, 
silken, and spartan apples. 

smoothie

love the name… 

these are a wonderful, juicy, sweet, mellow, early variety of golden delicious.

 fabulous to eat fresh and equally fabulous for cooking. 

smoothies store well…a good one to tuck away in an extra fridge or coldroom.

russet

they will never win a beauty pageant…their skin is quite dull 

with rough brown patches known as russeting.

 shakespeare referred to them as leathercoates. 

often described as nutty, they have a delicate,

 sweet flavour and flesh that is similar to a pear. 

often pressed for cider, 

they also work well in salads or with cheeses.

rhode island greening

an heirloom apple, it is visually similar to a granny smith. 
while very tart when eaten fresh, it is mainly used for pies,
 where cooking brings out it’s full flavours. 
if you have a loose tooth, this very hard apple will change that…

hello tooth fairy!

i forgot how much i love home made apple sauce!

it reminds me of being a kid again.
my mom used to serve it warm over vanilla ice cream. 

we combine many varieties of apples to make our apple sauce.

we have never been disappointed...although it does taste different every time. 

its an easy way to use up extra apples…

 and after making a batch today our home smells amazing!

just peel, slice and core as many apples as you have…

add a little water and simmer until the texture is desirable. 

i used about 20 apples and 1 cup of water…

simmered with the lid on for a half an hour or so. 

it gave me 4 mason jars plus a couple of small bowls that we ate while warm. 

i substitute apple sauce for oil in muffin recipes.

 one of our customers shared that she adds vanilla to her sauce.

 it adds an extra layer of flavour. 
thank you margot!

last autumn we were gifted home made apple sauce made with 

strawberries…an unexpected and amazing combination!

 thank you samuel and nathan!

apple sauce will turn into thick rich apple butter

 when simmered for hours and reduced.

 we were given a jar with an opulent velvet ribbon years ago. 
thanks again carleen!

there are so many wonderful jars to use or reuse for sauce or apple butter.
and there is such a terrific choice available of cute of twines, ribbons and labels to add...

who doesn't love apple sauce?

it really makes a thoughtful sweet gift!

you will need your rain boots this weekend. 

we can loan you a pair if you forget yours.

welcome october!

warm hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

hello autumn

our first weekend of autumn and the last weekend of september…

nature’s costume change is pretty spectacular 

hasn't it been a lovely, warm september? 

yet we welcome the cooler weather…

i always look forward to wearing my vintage sweaters again. 

yes i do have a thing for cardigans. 

and the apples really benefit from the cool nights. 

 a stellar selection of apples are ready for picking this weekend…

cortland, mcgowen, fuji, jona gold,
 empire, spartan and silken.

 we are still picking some of our earlier varieties too...

macintosh, royal gala, and honey gold.

cortland

sprightly, with complex flavours, they are juicy and crisp and resistant to browning.  

fabulous to eat fresh and a perfect choice for baking…

cortlands hold their shape well in a pie, tart, gallette, or cake.

still my favourite!

they grow in clusters of twos…

you will need a partner in crime to pick, or use two hands. 

mcgowen

also known as macoun, they are a cross between 
a macintosh and a jersey black.

mcgowns are a lovely smaller apple… 

crisp, sweet, juicy, and aromatic.

you have to try them! 

they are best eaten fresh, but make a sweet sauce. 

fuji

this is another “new” apple available on our farm. 

the orchard is only 4 years old!

they are quite sweet, extremely juicy and wonderfully crisp

 with a beautiful white coloured flesh.  

their sweetness makes them ideal for baking, roasting, saucing and enjoying fresh.

jona gold

with golden delicious and jonathan as parents,
 they are sweet with a hint of tartness…

a beautiful balance!

wonderful for baking, pies and sauce. 

empire

an intense, juicy blend of sweet and tart…

they are the best of both parents macintosh and red delicious.

so versatile and excellent in any apple recipe. 

empires are perfect for lunch boxes and brief cases as they aren't easily bruised. 

their colour changes to an opulent deep rich, dark red the

 longer they ripen on the tree. they look like velvet!

spartan 

a sweet, delicate flavour, crisp, and so juicy… everyone loves a fresh spartan!

they are a cross of a macintosh and a newton. 

spartans are brilliant for juicing and cider.

they are great for sautéing, pies, baking, and sauce. 

silken

the texture and flavour are wonderful…firm, sweet, crisp and juicy. 

the flesh is a little like a pear or russet apple. 

aromatic with a hint of honey, they are a very refreshing favourite. 

mornings on the farm are so dreamy…

often the fog caresses the entire valley and follows the river.

it is quite a luxury to wander around the farm this time of year! 

we are lucky that so many guests feel the same!

welcome autumn!

warm hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards

plenty

we have five fabulous apples that are perfect for picking this weekend…

the famous honey crisp, the gorgeous royal gala and sweet honeygold. 

we are still picking our macintosh and gingergold 

honeycrisp

quite appropriately named, they are exceptionally crisp and juicy 

with a well balanced lovely sweet flavour. 

 fill up the extra ’fridge…they store very well and are great for baking too!

our honey crisp orchard is still a baby orchard…only 5 years old.

our crop is very limited. 

royal gala

i think these are the prettiest apples on the farm!

 they are sweet, mellow and juicy.

 thin skinned and a smaller apple…they are easy for a little hand to hold!

the royal galas are such a beautiful luxurious pink … 

i bought a sofa that very same colour!

honeygold

similar to a golden delicious, honeygolds are sweet and crisp

 with a mild, gentle flavour. i love the little freckles on their skin!

they are best for eating fresh, but also great for baking, pies and sauce.

 honeygolds will store for a few months.

bring your date to the orchard…

these are perfect for sharing…they are so large! 

we have picked the last of the gravensteins to use in our pie making room.

they make such an excellent pie! 

next weekend we will be picking my favourite…

warm hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards 

another harvest

oh how wonderful to be open again!

 it is so nice to see familiar faces and so many new families too!

 welcome back and welcome!

new for picking this weekend are macintosh apples and bartlett pears 

we are still picking gingergold and gravenstein apples. 

macintosh 

such a classic! don’t these just taste like ‘back to school’?

great for teachers, lunches, pies, and sauce. 

a slice or two in a toasted peanut butter sandwich is fun too!

bartlett pears. 

i love their gorgeous sensuous shape, and how they turn a lovely

 yellow with a rosy blush when ripe.

 they are best picked mature and left to ripen on a sunny windowsill. 

they really are the quintessential pear flavour.

and my new favourite addition to salads…

with arugula and any kind of candied or roasted nut.

 i love them on a cheese plate too…sliced thick enough to be the cracker!  

pears are also perfect for lunch boxes!

gravenstein

gingergold

 i hope you have had a great week…

this is the first september that i haven't cried... our kids are no longer in school. 

and they are helping us too. lucky us!

warm hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards 

hello september

welcome september!

  

we are excited to be opening this saturday for the entire long weekend!

oh what a pleasure to eat fresh apples again! 

perfect for picking are gingergold and gravenstein apples.

and this is the first time we can invite you into our flemish beauty pear orchard.

 it is only four years old. we have a small crop for our first harvest, but worth picking if you can!

gingergolds

 gorgeous sweet, mildly tart and juicy. a perfect snack!

wonderful too for tarts or pies…if you want to turn your oven on. 

these will keep for a few months in your fridge. 

gravensteins

i love these! 

aromatic, crisp and juicy. and that perfect combination of sweet and tart. 

these are also wonderful for pies or tarts as they hold their shape well.

  they are delicate and perishable so you just have to 

enjoy them while they are in season. 

flemish beauty pear 

beautiful indeed!

they have a lovely white flesh and a subtle flavour.

perfect for a picnic…their skins are relatively durable. 

this is an heirloom variety and recommended for drying.  

you will notice some changes when you you visit us and go for a wander. 

big taps and valves, and irrigation pipes along every row. 

it took over a month to install an irrigation system throughout the farm. 

  

we lost several trees due to the drought, but would have lost entire orchards

 without the new irrigation. i think mark secretly loved using the

 big machines to dig trenches for all the pipes. 

it is a brilliant addition to the farm!

oh what a busy, hot dry summer! 

haven't the evenings been spectacular lately?

so looking forward to our harvest season again with you!

warm hugs

laura 

carl laidlaw orchards