How to pick apples like a pro: tips for visiting the orchard

October is National Apple Month, and there couldn’t be a better time to visit your favorite orchard. Are you ready to pick some apples? Make the most of your next visit with these tips.

• Do some investigating. Conduct a bit of research to find the orchard that can provide you with the experience you’re looking for. Do you prefer to pick organically grown apples? Are your kids eager to try a hay maze and tractor ride? Or perhaps you’d like to have a nice lunch first? Each orchard offers different activities, so find the one that best meets your needs.

• Decide how you’ll use your apples. Determine ahead of time what you’d like to do with your apples and choose the right type for your purposes. For example, Granny Smith and Cortland are best for making pie, McIntosh and Golden Delicious are ideal for cooking apple sauce and Honeycrisp and Gala are perfect for snacking on.

• Choose your fruit wisely. Always opt for shiny, blemish-free apples, and remember to be gentle when picking fruit off the branch. Simply point the apple towards the sky and twist. Never shake the tree and definitely avoid collecting fruit that’s fallen on the ground.

• Bring a little extra spending money. Apples aren’t the only thing for sale at the orchard. Bring some extra cash for buying apple cider doughnuts, fresh-pressed apple juice, apple butter and any other apple infused goodies.

Back at home, it’s important to store your apples properly. Keep those that will be eaten right away in a bowl and store the rest in their own drawer in the fridge. Apples produce ethylene gas, which is harmless but makes other fruits and vegetables ripen faster.