It’s apple-picking season in Missouri! The season here lasts from August to November, ending after the first frost. Apple picking is a fun family activity. Here are some tips to help make it a great experience.
Plan: Look online for information about the orchard’s location, hours, cost, and policies. Check to see whether the apple trees are low enough that you can pick apples without needing a ladder. If not, do they provide ladders, or do you need to bring one?
Check the weather: Choose a cool, clear morning when it’s comfortable to work outside.
Dress for it: Wear layers of “play clothes” like jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts that can get dirty. Wear closed-toed shoes or rubber boots as the grass might be wet or muddy. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen help protect you on sunny days.
Prep: Bring a bucket or cloth bags to gather your apples, a snack (kids are always hungry!), and water or other drink. If you will be bringing or using a ladder, take a C-clamp to hang the handle of your bucket or bag.
Pick: Lift young children up to reach the apples or hold onto them while climbing a ladder. Pick firm, ripe apples from the tree. Ripe apples pull off easily, just lift and twist. Don’t pick up apples off the ground as they will probably be bruised or rotten. Shaking the tree could damage the branches.
Enjoy: What else does the orchard has to offer? Many sell chrysanthemums, local honey, pumpkins, and apple cider donuts. Remember to take photos of you and your little ones. Make it an autumn experience to remember.
Cook and bake: Apples are so versatile! Use them in cakes, pies, crisps, salads, and more. Add them to pork roasts or other savory dishes. Core and bake them whole sprinkled with brown sugar or slice and simmer them to make applesauce. See our favorite recipe, below.
Store: Apples keep for 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator or in a cool basement or garage if you don’t have enough room in the fridge.
Sort: One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, so sort through every so often and remove any that have spots or bruises.
Our Favorite Apple Crisp Recipe
My husband Steve’s favorite apple crisp is one his mother, Velma, “Mrs. Lyle Houts,” made when he was growing up.
Velma’s Apple Crisp
8 - 10 medium-sized golden delicious or other apples good for cooking
¼ white sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse, core, and pare apples; cut in eighths. Place in a 9x13-inch glass pan or 2-quart casserole. Add white sugar and water. Measure flour, brown sugar, butter or margarine, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix with a pastry blender or cut with 2 knives until mixture resembles meal. Spread over the apples. Bake for 40 minutes or until apples are tender and crumbs are lightly browned. Good served warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yield: 8 - 10 servings
Book news! My spooky/sweet Halloween book, In the Witch’s House, is featured on a curated list of indie content on Bookshop.org! So excited about this recognition!
Perfect for ages 5 and up, this magical autumn picture book features:
🕸️ Gentle suspense with just the right touch of spooky fun
🎃 A cozy, heartwarming Halloween twist
📖 Lyrical, read-aloud text that sparkles with imagination
👻 A balance of mystery and comfort—spooky but never scary
✨ Themes of courage, friendship, and facing fears with bravery
Order from Amazon here.
FREE printables featuring Kate from In the Witch’s House here.
Amy Houts is the author of 100+ books for children. She writes for both faith-based and general market publishers. Amy’s faith-based books include bath books, Noah’s Ark and The Creation (Sunbeam/Bushel & Peck Books), God’s Earth is Something to Fight For (Sunbeam/Bushel & Peck Books), and God’s Protection Covers Me (Beaming Books). Amy’s educational books include 60 retold tales for the series, Compass Children’s Classics. Her 10 nonfiction science early readers were published by Highlights. To find out more, see: https://amyhouts or Linktr.ee/amyhouts.
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