As the 2020 apple season nears we are preparing for how things will be different this year. We're excited to open and welcome you all back, but we need to have proper precautions to keep visitors and our family safe. If one of our family were to contract COVID-19 during the season, we'd have to close for 2 weeks or more – not good for anyone! We are working through the plan, and are expecting another fabulous, but different, apple season.
One of the main changes this season will be no sample apples. I know - this sucks! It's one of our favorite things at the orchard, but it just cannot happen this year for safety.
Coming into apple season, I'll be on the blog writing specific, detailed descriptions of the apples we offer. Hopefully this will help in your decision making, but don't forget we offer quarter-peck bags. If you're not sure about a variety, start with a small bag and come back for more if you like them.
To go with the apple details, I'm also including a “flavor profile” for each member of our family. We have the opportunity to try all the apples through many, many seasons – so we may each be a bit of an expert on flavor, taste and uses. It's also convenient that we have different favorite apples (with a overlaps here and there) so hopefully you'll be able to relate to one of our flavor profiles
Frank Lapacek: Frank's apple needs to be thin skinned and not too hard. His favorites include the classic MacIntosh, Haralson and Jonagold but have been extended to include newer varieties like Snowsweet and Zestar!
Diane Lapacek: You will rarely see Diane without an apple - she is a true apple lover and can tell each variety by look and taste. Diane's apple needs to be crunchy, juicy and have lots of flavor. Her top five are Zestar!, Akane, Cox Orange Pippin, Macoun and Keepsake. (Her next favorites are Crimson Crisp and Jonagold – she can’t stop at just five!).
Jared Lapacek: Jared eats a lot of apples. People often ask how we know apples are ready to pick, and the truth is: Jared takes a bite. Considering we have approximately 6,500 trees and 60+ varieties, simply said, Jared eats a lot of apples. When I asked him to describe what he likes most in an apple he explained that he’s a mood eater. The apple he prefers depends on his feelings at the moment. (I know – not much help to you!) But Jared overall prefers a crisp, sweet/tart apple. His top choices are Empire, Snow Sweet, Fireside, Zestar!, and Golden Delicious.
Kim Lapacek: To be completely honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of apples before joining the orchard family – mostly because I didn’t know there was more than Red Delicious and Granny Smith out there! Also, I discovered the apple’s skin color truly has nothing to do with its flavor - I know - shocking! I am a true sweet apple lover; the flavor has to be really amazing for me to tolerate tartness. I also am not a fan of thick apple skin. Here are my favorite varieties: Silken, Sansa, Fuji, Honey Gold and Cox Orange Pippin. The Cox Orange Pippin has a bit of tartness, but the flavor is just so different I'll power through.
Mercedi Lapacek: Of the three girls, Mercedi likes apples the most. She will eat nearly all the apples but as she's gotten older she's refined her tastes. Her top apples are Zestar!, Pink Lady, Crimson Crisp, Scarlet, Silken, Jonagold, Fuji, Golden Delicious ... oops that's eight favorites! Like I said, she really likes all apples.
Capri Lapacek: Capri is a little pickier about her apple choice, like her mom. She likes apples crispy, crunchy, juicy, and sweet with a hint of tart. Her favorite apples include the Keepsake, Crimson Crisp, Sansa, Ginger Gold and Jonagold.
Pip Lapacek: Pip is not picky when it comes to apples and she may soon beat Cedi in the quantity she eats throughout the season. She looks for an apple that is crisp, hard and juicy, and a little tart. Her favorites include Honeycrisp, Crimson Crisp, Keepsake, Cox Orange Pippin, Sansa, Pink Lady, Zestar! and William's Pride.
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