Memorable Mondays: Becoming Johnny Appleseed

Several months ago, I posted an article entitled “Memorable Mondays: Push Pops.” It was just a quick, fun post about my friend’s desire for push pops and the memories of my childhood that came with that. Well, now that we’re entering a new season, I’m bringing Memorable Mondays back to stay. They’ll be posted every second Monday of the month and they’ll all strive to mesh the greatness of food with a dash or two of nostalgia.

To really kick these posts off, I’m going to start with a pastime that I adore: apple picking. Despite my desire to avoid all things pumpkin spice, I do truly enjoy fall and most of the things that come with it, particularly apples. As a kid, my family never actually took me picking, but during the season we would get dizzily lost in hay mazes as we gulped down crisp, sugary apple cider. While I still enjoy doing these things and can never wait for the cool air that turns everyone’s cheeks rosy, apple picking was one thing I absolutely still needed to do, mostly because I was convinced it would round out the adventure of autumn.

Since I was so determined to check off all of the important fall experiences with this fruity activity, I wrangled my few Baltimore friends together to come with me to the nearby Weber’s Farm and search through small trees for even smaller apples. One of my friends was especially enthusiastic to do this since she had just started dating an Irish guy and hoped to do some American activities with him. Apple picking might not have been as messy as the farming he was used to, but he was still excited to feel like Johnny Appleseed for a day and partake in some cliche, East Coast fun.

So, we loaded into a car on one of those mornings that is warm but promises the sharp edge of autumn. The thoughts of childhoods spent crunching into apples as the sweet and sticky juice ran down our forearms ran through all of our minds as we set out on our food journey. By the time we pulled into the lot, we were excited to see everyone meandering through the trees with their bursting bags and only hoped there would be enough left to get our own greedy hands on.

We ended up walking through an orchard filled with Pink Ladies, a deliciously mouth-puckering apple that shone in the morning light. As we picked our way around, it was clear that we were some of the last people that would be able to grab these beauties, so we all made sure to place as many in our bags as possible. With heavy bags, we waded through until the trees were sparse and we were happy. It was a simple, quick morning, but one that I won’t forget for a while, especially as I sit here digging my teeth in the deep pink side of a tart apple that I took from the earth myself.

Even though this was my first apple picking experience, I can’t imagine it will be my last. It was fun, filling, and most importantly, cheaper than buying apples in a market or grocery store. The only thing I regret about this adventure was that it didn’t happen sooner. If you haven’t been apple picking before, I wholeheartedly recommend it, and if you have, then I hope it’s something you make the time to do with your friends and family every year. It’s bound to cement a memory in a child’s brain that will lead to years and years of people fondly taking the next generation on this rite of passage. It’s not only a way to get in touch with the season, but it is also a way to teach your family what natural fruit looks and tastes like.

This was such a positive experience and I was able to bring home so many fantastic apples that these goodies will be used in my first ever recipe on the blog. If you’re looking for some new apple recipes then keep up with what I’ll be doing because there will be some exciting expansions coming to this little famished page!