[2023] Fall Bucket List: Apple Picking Afternoon

Two confessions on this post (for the record I always like to tell on myself first) 1. I had a cider slushy at the Amish market so this will technically be my second and 2. This is my second apple farm adventure. When traveling to a family wedding we stumbled upon a little orchard with a storefront called “Apple Barn” in Chatham, Illinois. I purchased granny smith’s with the intention of turning it into an apple pie when we returned home. We didn’t have much time to actually “pick” the apples so I didn’t really count it. There, I feel better. Life isn’t always perfectly planned - that’s my defense.

So you might be wondering why we decided to embrace the last nice weather day for the next week and drive over to an Orchard, simple - I needed Macintosh apples (1/2 granny 1/2 macintosh) for the pie and wanted to support Tennessee farmers.

Apple season seems to run from August to the weekend before Halloween in October. We barely made it this year because I always feel like I have more time than I actually do. We decided to visit Shade Tree Farm and Orchard for the first time where we bought jars of Monkey Butter, Pumpkin Spice Dog Treats, Fried Apple Pies, Apples, Cider Donuts, and Cider Slushies. Jon and I spent the nice fall day trying to soak up as much sun as possible while eating fried apple pies and playing with Riley, the orchard dog.

Apple Picking

Shade Tree Farm and Orchard is located in Adams, TN with season hours being Thursday thru Sunday 9am to 4pm. You are able to pick your own apples just as long as you follow the rules, which are pretty simple. They sell a few varieties of apple, we ended up grabbing a bag of Dixie Wine apples because they didn’t have McIntosh and they were delicious. I think the last weekend of the season left the farm pretty empty, we were the only ones by 2 pm so the whole place was ours to explore. The grounds are not overrun with “entertainment” like pumpkin patches can be. There were no corn mazes or kernel pits to swim around in, no tractor trains or pig races. Just a large playground for children on the other side of the pavilion where a yearly pancake breakfast is held, apple trees, and lots of land to run. It was calm and peaceful. A great place to take in the view from the side deck of the store. We’ve already decided to make a better effort earlier in the season and visit apple orchards besides the traditional pumpkin patch trips taken every year.

Bake an Apple Pie

Mom’s Apple Pie
By: Paula Jones

Ingredients
- 8 peeled and sliced, half granny smith, half macintosh apples
- 2 sticks cold and cubed, plus 2 Tbsp. cold and sliced unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 C. plus 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 1/2 C. plus 3 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 lightly beaten. for egg wash egg
- For Dusting: cinnamon sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a food processor combine the 2 1/2 C. flour, salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and pulse. Add in 2 sticks cubed, cold butter and slowly gradually add the ice water. Pulse until dough just comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will make a tough crust.
Remove the dough from processor. Cut into two equal sections. Pat sections into discs and wrap in plastic wrap and place into refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 1/4 C. sugar and 2 Tbsp. flour, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the peeled and sliced apples. Sprinkle spice and flour mixture over apples. Toss to coat.
Remove one chilled disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface, large enough to cover your pie pan. Shape to fit, cutting of any excess.
Pour apple mixture into pie pan and add your 2 Tbsp. sliced butter to the top of the mixture. Remove second dough disk from refrigerator and roll out large enough to fit the top of your pie with an overhang. Place pie dough on top of apple mixture and crimp edges to seal. With a knife, add four slits to your piecrust. Lightly brush egg was onto top of dough. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar,
Place onto a baking tray into preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Allow pie to rest until cool before slicing. Refrigerate any uneaten portions.