autumn apple picking at los rios rancho

parlato design goes apple picking

this past weekend we went out to yucaipa for apple picking in oak glen. it was a really nice day with dramatic clouds predicting rain for later that evening. i had no idea how popular and crowded it might be up there, so after scoping out a few places, we settled on riley’s at los rios rancho because the terrain was the most prohibitive for crowds.

oak glen apples at los rios rancho

once you pre-purchase the container of your choice, you’re off to search for unblemished fruit on your own. i was surprised to see how many apples fall from the trees as part of the growing process. apples are also fairly easily invaded by hungry critters, so you have to inspect your fruit before you twist and take.

granny smith apples at los rios rancho

we started in the red delicious orchard, where i was surprised to find they look nothing like red delicious you find in the store. they have a similar shape, but the coloring is much more like a fuji, and they’re much more crunchy & tart than the sweeter, semi-mealy, deep red versions in the supermarket. i’ve also been surprised to see that these fresh-from-the-tree apples don’t really turn brown when cut open. i left a half-eaten apple on a plate all day, and it never browned!

then we headed down to the granny smiths, and finally the rome delicious. i really love all the flavors, they’re distinctly fresh and balanced between sweetness and acidity, even granny smith, which i usually find a bit too tart.

brown goat at los rios rancho

the barn store was overrun with shoppers right until the end of the day, so we did our time in line for cider and pumpkin butter, and then headed over to the petting zoo. i am a total sucker for the petting zoo, look at these cute little guys!

white goat at los rios rancho

we split a large box of apples, and picked a fairly even amount between reds, romes & grannies. once we divided them up, i think we came away with 10 of each variety. i plan to ferment a growler of our cider into hard cider [it’s unpasteurized too–take that louis]. i’ve made some apple chips as well, but since apples keep pretty well, i think we’ll just go through them by trying out different recipes. i’ve collected a bunch of non-typical apple recipes to try below [no pies, no apple crisp, no strudel].

from allrecipes.com
morning glory muffins

from applejournal.com
old-fashioned apple recipes

from epicurious.com
shredded collard greens with walnuts and pickled apples
apple celery granita
upside down butterscotch apple sour cream cake
fennel and apple salad with cider vinaigrette

from foodnetwork.com
turkey kofte with apple raita and spinach recipe
smoked salmon and apple carpaccio
israeli couscous with apples, cranberries and herbs
apples, no pie, a la mode
caramelized onion and white cheddar dip with apples and dark bread
apple and avocado smoothie
radish apple and onion salad
charoset
apple, potato and onion hash