The 2021 season has come to a conclusion and what a season it was! This year we battled ice storms, heat waves (118 degrees in June!), and ever changing guidance related to Covid-19. We are very thankful to have had a good quality crop despite the weather challenges and thankful we were able to be prepared to meet all guidance and mandates and have a successful season.
We are also extremely thankful for our staff this season. They spent hours everyday sanitizing and helping make things safe for customers visiting the farm as well as each other working at the farm, while still managing to have fun.
This year, we were also able to try out some new things. In addition to our Apples, Pears, Prunes, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, and Peppers, we also tried out Watermelon! It was more challenging than expected to grow, and we learned a lot! We were delighted at the response from our customers and plan to grow a lot more next year for u-pick again!
This years Largest Apple Contest brought in the biggest apples we have ever seen in our orchard. The largest being a Jonagold that weighed in at 1.56 pound! A highlight of our season for sure!
So many fun exciting things this season. It makes us anxious to get started on brainstorming and planning for next year.
Thank you to all of our amazing customers for making our 2021 season such a memorable one! See you all next August!
How to Store Your Apples
We have some great storing apples ready to be picked! We thought we would give our best advice for how to make those apples store for as long as possible.
Your very first step to a long lasting apple is to TAKE IT OUT OF THE BAG! Bags have eased the picking and taking home of our apples, but we have realized you may not be aware that the bag should just be for transportation. Apples release ethylene gas, and if they are in a plastic bag, that gas will make them ripen much faster. So start by taking those apples out of those bags!
Next, you want to think of a cool dark place. Root cellar is best, but for those of us without a cellar, a garage can suffice. Just make sure your apples won't be getting hit by the sunlight from a window everyday, that will make the temperature of your apples fluctuate and ripen faster. A cardboard box is great for storing. Ideally, the apples would be in a single layer.
For those of us who do not have much garage space on shelfs, a garage fridge will do as well. But there is a bit of moisture in a fridge so this method might last 2-3 months instead of 3-4 months.
The varieties we have that are great for storing are Braeburn, Cripps Pink, Granny Smith, and Gold Rush.
We plan to be open and have Apples ready for picking all the way till Thanksgiving!
Are you wanting some apples before the season is over but don't have the time to pick? Give us a call and we can have a box picked and ready for you! Our custom Beilke boxes hold exactly one full bucket of apples. One full Beilke box of pre-picked apples is just $18 and will be ready at the stand when you are ready to pick-up. Call us at (503)393-1077 to order your pre-picked Beilke box. We do love to have a couple hours notice during the week, or a days notice on the weekends.
RIPE AND READY:
Cripps Pink
Braeburn
Gold Rush
Granny Smith
HOURS:
Mon-Sat: 8a.m.-5p.m.
Sunday: 11a.m.-5p.m.
4925 Rockdale St NE, Brooks, OR 97305
BEILKEFAMILYFARM.COM
Break out those Pie Pans!
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! That means Apple Pie! We have 6 varieties to choose from that are all great for baking that perfect apple pie. Choose the classic Granny Smith, or branch out and try a new variety. Better yet, do what we do and try a mix of varieties in one pie. We have found that putting a few varieties in one pie adds a great complex apple flavor! Most of the remaining apples are also great for storing and can last several months!
We also still have some of our Gold Rush apples that are absolutely the best choice to make cider, great for eating and baking too. We love having warmed cider in a crock at the holidays! Come get some while we still have them!
Are you wanting some apples before the season is over but don't have the time to pick? Give us a call and we can have a box picked and ready for you! Our custom Beilke boxes hold exactly one full bucket of apples. One full Beilke box of pre-picked apples is just $18 and will be ready at the stand when you are ready to pick-up. Call us at (503)393-1077 to order your pre-picked Beilke box. We do love to have a couple hours notice during the week, or a days notice on the weekends.
RIPE AND READY:
Golden Delicious
Cripps Pink
Red Delicious
Braeburn
Gold Rush
Granny Smith
HOURS:
Mon-Sat: 8a.m.-5p.m.
Sunday: 11a.m.-5p.m.
4925 Rockdale St NE, Brooks, OR 97305
BEILKEFAMILYFARM.COM
