Hours

taproom

3-8 Thursday, September 24

3-8 Friday, September 25

12-6 Saturday, September 26

12-6 Sunday, September 27

Farm stand / PYO

3-7 Friday, September 25

9-5 Saturday, September 26

9-5 Sunday, September 27

*Please refer to Events Calendar or Google listings (Farm / Cidery) for private event closures or special holiday openings which may occasionally affect these hours.

What’s Pickin’?

We will have FIVE OR SIX varieties of apples available for pick-your-own this week.

Royal Court: New this week! A limb sport of the original Cortland discovered in Nova Scotia by Jacob Hartenhof. A relatively large apple with dark red to purple skin and white flesh. Complex sweet, tart flavor. Very aromatic. Great for fresh eating and really holds its own in the kitchen. (These trees were planted in 2016, have a beautiful crop load this year, and are found going up the secondary orchard road between the Center Hill Block and Pines Block, and found in both blocks.)

Empire: New this week! A cross of McIntosh and Golden Delicious, made in 1945. The seed was produced in Claverack, NY (about 20 minutes drive north of here), then propagated in Geneva, NY by Roger D. Way and introduced in 1966. Creamy white flesh with both a sweet and tart flavor. Juicy and crisp. Good for fresh eating, salads, baking, and sauces. If used in applesauce, the sauce turns pink! (This variety is located up the main orchard road on the right. There are two rows below the Jonamac and two rows above the Jonamac. The darker colored fruit will be more ripe.)

Macoun: New this week! EXTREMELY LIMITED QUANTITIES ON THE TREES. This cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black was developed at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station beginning in 1909 and released commercially in 1923. Dark purple skin, white flesh with a sweet and slightly tart flavor. Best eaten fresh but they are also good in the kitchen.(This variety is located up the main orchard road, the first two rows on the left side in the Farm Stand Block. The seven trees on the left of the main orchard road. There is also another row in the Lower Center Hill Block, three rows up from the pond that is on the way to the blueberries. The darker colored fruit will be more ripe.)

Cortland: A cross between Ben Davis and McIntosh, released to the public in 1915, and was the first apple released by the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station. Named for Cortland County, NY. Large, dark red skin, and soft creamy-textured white fleshed apple. Complex sweet/tart flavor. Good for fresh eating, best in sauces, pies, and salads. (These trees are located in the Pines Block, the row directly to the East of the McIntosh, two rows up from the blueberry patch.)

Pioneer McIntosh: This strain of McIntosh is very similar to the original McIntosh which is believed to be a seedling of the once prized Snow/Fameuse variety discovered in Ontario, Canada in 1811. The coloring of about half green/half dark red is very beautiful and the thick skin gives way to a very vinous, tart yet savory flavor. Classic for a good reason! (This variety is found in the Pines Block, just up from the blueberries.)

Jonamac: Introduced in 1944 at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station. A cross between Jonathan and McIntosh. Acidic and slightly tart now, and in the next couple of weeks as the fruit hangs, they develop some sweetness and more balanced flavor. It turns out, these trees are some of the oldest on the farm here, planted in 1978 and 1979. For this week, look for the darkest fruits as they will be the ripest and have the fullest flavor. This variety is located up the main orchard road, Center Hill Block, on the righthand side of the road. There are four rows, situated between the Empire.

We will have all of these varieties available pre-picked at the farm stand.

We will also have the following varieties available pre-picked at the farm stand:

Holstein Cox: While this variety was introduced in 1950, it was discovered in about 1918 Eutin, Holstein, Germany by a Mr. Vahldik. It is believed to be an open-pollinated seedling of Cox Orange Pippin and is quite similar in taste. It is typically a medium-large sized apple with greenish to deep golden-yellow skin with various levels of orange and red blush covering the skin. Occasionally there are bits of russet on the skin. The flesh is yellowish-white, firm, and coarse. A very sprightly subacid flavor that turns sweeter. Complex and aromatic flavor.

Fulford Gala: The most widely planted variety across the globe. This is a solid blushed strain of Gala that was noticed in New Zealand by W. Fulford in 1983. Most Gala strains are identified by their stripes, while this one has a pretty, bold, and solid blush. This strain in particular is exceptionally beautiful—red with lovely lenticels. A true sweet apple. A friend of mine calls them "monotonal", and for those that love a properly sweet apple, this is a nice and simple pleasure. Great for fresh eating and dessert making.

Gale Gala: This strain of Gala was discovered in a Washington state orchard and then propagated because of its redder than the usual Gala quality. Very sweet, juicy, and crunchy. Excellent for fresh eating, and also good in pies or tarts. (This variety is located in the Pump Pond Block next to where the strawberries used to be. There are 3 rows.)

Honeycrisp: The legend itself is back! The highly sought-after Honeycrisp was released in 1991 by the University of Minnesota. Most people rave and rave about this apple. Some despise it. Let them do whatever they are going to do. This is a beautiful apple with mostly red streaking over a greenish background. The patterns and designs on the skin are quite incredible. It is pretty singular in its sweet crunchiness—a one trick pony, so to speak. The texture is rather rare in that the cells of the flesh are large and break away very cleanly, allowing the sweet juice to almost explode in one's mouth.

Join us in the taproom Thursday through Sunday for locally-crafted drinks and food pop-ups. Keep an eye on our events calendar for upcoming live music, featured ferments (tastings by other NYS makers), classes, festivals, ticketed dinners, and more. See you soon!

Browse our Food Vendor and Events Calendar.

See Rajiv Surendra’s recent visit to the farm for HGTV Handmade!

Follow Our Adventures:

Find Out More:

Address:  14 Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook, NY 12571

Conveniently accessible from I-87 and the TSP yet peacefully tucked away off the beaten track.

Directions from NYC: Take Taconic State Parkway N to exit 67 (toward Pine Plains/Red Hook). Turn left at NY-199 W. Enter Village of Red Hook, NY-199 becomes Market St. Turn right onto Route 9. Turn right at Fraleigh Lane. Make left into Rose Hill Farm.