Fall Fun: Apple Picking 🍎

Happy Monday, mes chéries, and welcome to the first of this fall’s seasonal posts! I’m so happy that the temperature has been dropping (slowly, but surely) in New York, despite the awkward spikes of heat every few days. Whenever fall comes around, I miss being home a little more than usual. Growing up, I always visited the farms around my town. I loved to go pumpkin and gourd picking, apple picking, and corn picking. I also loved going to the corn mazes, riding haunted hay rides, and buying mums for our front door step. Even though I don’t have a sweet tooth, I was always thrilled to wake up on weekend mornings and drive out to a local market to get homemade apple cider and apple cider doughnuts. My mom and I would stand around our kitchen island and eat the doughnuts with the cider in utter silence, happily melting into autumn heaven.

Before this fall, the last time I went apple picking was in 2014 with my ex-boyfriend. While picking apples with a boy is cute and all, the fact I broke my personal tradition since is unacceptable! So this fall, I made my way to my aunt’s in northern Jersey and my aunt, uncle, mom, and I headed across the border to upstate New York to go apple picking. While my favorite apple “breeds” were not in season yet and the temperature was a high 86, I still had so much fun climbing the trees and eating my apple cider doughnuts.

My favorite part about apple picking is being able to test the apples as you go. Now testing the apple doesn’t mean taking a bite from each tree and tossing the apples into the bushes like some people do; I love being able to try different types of apples before I commit to a bag of them! I used to only eat Fuji apples, but have grown to love Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp. I also tried a bunch of other apples my orchard had (which I cannot remember since it’s been a solid 5 years).

This year, we went to Masker Orchards. It was a fun experience because you could drive your car up and down the mountainside to get to the apples you wanted. My process for apple picking is very particular. First, I find a tree with the type of apple I want. Then, I examine the branches to see the size, shape, and color of the apples. You want an apple that is facing the sun and not in the shadows of the branches. Pro tip: often, the apples with small bug bites are the sweetest. Next, I pick one off the branch and wipe it down before testing it. If I like it, I pick the biggest or best looking apples I can find on that tree. Once I pick a few off the branches within my reach, I attempt to climb the tree to find more. Once I’m done, I repeat it with the next tree.

To be very honest, I’m surprised I haven’t fallen out of a tree yet.

After picking some apples, the four of us bought apple cider and apple cider doughnuts from the barn. We also explored their store full of homemade jams, jellies, and other products. There was a local band playing on a large stage made from a wagon, which we enjoyed as we sat on a wooden bench and each ate our doughnuts. Sometimes, it’s the simple things, like picking an apple off a tree or enjoying a homemade doughnut, that create the best memories and make you the happiest in a moment.

That’s all I have for now, mes chéries! I hope you enjoyed a little peak of my fall festivities. If you have the chance to go apple picking this fall, do it! It’s a great way to be out in nature, take a step back from your life, and enjoy the simple things. Whether you go with friends, family, or a significant other, it’s a great way to ring in the season.

Until next time, enjoy the pictures below of me running away from my responsibilities on this Monday morning. Bisou bisou…

Erica Huang

Based in New York City, Erica Huang is the creator and voice behind Bouge & Rouge. This blog is a playground of her thoughts where she invites you to join her on her journey through her 20s. Erica shares her lifestyle, fashion and beauty tips, adventures, and personal thoughts with the goal of inspiring others to always persevere and be unapologetically yourself.

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