In Shelton, Connecticut, a small town of 40,000 located in northern Fairfield County, fall foliage is not the only sign of the changing seasons. Beginning in August until the first hard frost, many local and nearby farm open up their orchards for pick-your-own apple lovers.
In Southern Connecticut, there are more than a dozen apple growers. Two of them--Beardsley Orchards and Jones Family Farms--are located within Shelton town limits. The others are within a 40 mile radius. While some are exclusively pick-your-own orchards; others allow buyers to pick only on weekends and holidays. Call individual orchards for apple varieties and pick-your-own schedules.
Beardsley Orchards grows nearly 26 different apple varieties with Gingergold, MacIntosh, Crimson Gold and Honeycrisp being the first apple varieties to ripen. The farm opens its orchards on weekends and Columbus Day for pick-your-own shoppers. Lyman Orchards, located in nearby Middletown has 28 different varieties, the first few--Early Mac, Red Free and Empress--are ready for picking in early August.
Some apple varieties like the sweet, crunchy Gala and Braeburn are perfect for eating. Others, like Macoun, Jonathan and Granny Smith are crispy and tangy, but maintain a distinctive flavor and texture in apple pie. Many farms offer samples of fresh cider, apple slices or warm slices of freshly baked pie, just so you can sample the texture and flavors of the apples you'd like to pick.
