Cambridge Mom’s Blog

We are nearing the end of the Pick-Your-Own season, and although blueberries and raspberries are lovely, my favorite season is this one: apples, pumpkins, pears, crunchy leaves and gorgeous colors everywhere! And then there’s the food that follows… As I write this post, I am snacking on warm apple crisp with hot coffee. What better way to start the day?

So, where to go and what to do after?

Picking your Own anything in Massachusetts can be this easy: PickYourOwn.org The webiste is kind of crazy, but just scroll down a bit until you can pick your county, and I swear they list every single PYO farm there. Another good site, and a little cleaner, for just apple picking is: New England Apples.

My personal favorite place for apple picking, where I went every Fall with my little ones is: Shelburne Farms, located in Stow. They have a hay maze, small petting zoo, horse rides, a toddler play space complete with mini-John Deere’s, and let’s not forget my children’s favorite: the bouncy castle (what is the real name for those things?). Pack a picnic and stay a while, because there is much to do for everyone. Oh, and they have fresh cider donuts that are just plain dangerous. And, of course, there are apples. Like 20 different varieties. And pears. Go and have fun.

As for pumpkin picking, you can check out all the PYO farms in the site listed above, stop at any one of the kazillion road-side stands just minutes outside the city, OR visit my favorite pumpkin patch in the area: Krochmal Farms in Tewksbury. They have pumpkins and gourds  large and small, a petting zoo, wild turkeys, pigs and cows (not wild), a corn maze, pony rides, and scare crows you can buy for your front yard (or for your own corn patch). My children’s favorite memories of Krichmal Farms is when Pooh and Tiger were there, taking photos with the children (still on the fridge, three years later). Though we have never participated, Krochmal Farms also has a safe trick-or-treat adventure for the little ones, and haunted Halloween hay rides through the woods!

And finally, what you really have been waiting for… my grandma’s apple crisp recipe. This is a good one to do with the kids.

Peel about 12 apples, cut out the core, and have your children chop (with plastic or butter knives) up the apples into small pieces. Pour all the chopped apples into a lasagna-sized glass baking dish. Sprinkle a little flour and cinnamon on top on the apples and drizzle some water (about 1/2 cup) on top of that. Then, in a large bowl combine equal amounts of flour, oats, and brown sugar together. Pour a stick of melted butter (it’s getting better and better!) into that, and mix. It really doesn’t matter how much mixture you make- as long as it is enough to cover all the apples. We love the crunchy topping, so I makes heaps of it. The mixture should be crumbly; if it is not crumbly, add more flour to the mix. Yum! (You can even let your little helpers taste some of the topping, as there are no salmonella scares here.) Cover the apples completely with the topping, pop it in the oven, uncovered, at 350, and give it about 45 minutes. The nice thing about apple crisp is that you really cannot over cook it (can you?); the apples just get tenderer and juicier. Oh, and the smell! You should definitely get the hang of baking this if you’re thinking of putting your house on the market. Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream and hot coffee.

Tags: apple crisp recipe, apple picking, fall, massachusetts, pumpkin picking