Blog

Nov 01, 2023

THE JOY OF U

Apples do not come from a grocery store. They come from trees. It’s a startling revelation for some youngsters when parents — or grandparents — make their way to u-pick orchards after the calendar

Apples do not come from a grocery store.

They come from trees.

It’s a startling revelation for some youngsters when parents — or grandparents — make their way to u-pick orchards after the calendar flips over to September.

Thanks to marketing, you might think such an experience would require a nearly two-hour, one-way drive to the fabled Apple Hill in El Dorado County hills east of Placerville.

You will find several u-pick orchards there.

But the primary appeal is being an apple mecca of sorts with everything from apple pie, apple fritters, candied apples, apple cider, and bushels of bushels of apples as well as the trappings of delis, bakeries, and such.

It is an idyllic setting for sure.

But you don’t have to invest that much time if your objectives are simple:

*Taking advantage of the unique freshness that comes from picking your own apples.

*Providing youngsters— as well as any adult that is young at heart — a chance to savor a fun learning experience.

Based on observations, you will experience two things at u-pick orchards:

*Almost all kids that seem to have death grips on smartphones forget that they exist.

*When apples are picked fresh from the tree, they can literally be snapped in half with your bare hands to reveal a smooth, juicy and cool inside.

The 209 happens to boast the second largest apple growing county in California — San Joaquin County.

It is where you will find Lucky U Orchards in the countryside northeast of Ripon.

You can pick apples for $2.99 a pound Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 2-3).

Opening weekend they will have three types of organic apples: Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith.

Later in the season, folks can come back to pick Gold Rush, Modi, Arkansas Black, Crimson Gold and many more.

Their pumpkin patch nestled in the orchard featuring locally grown pumpkins opens Sept. 30.

Plans are for the orchard to stay open through the second weekend in November.

“Those visiting our orchard will have the opportunity to handpick their own apples, immersing themselves in the joy of harvest and savoring the unparalleled taste of freshly picked, sustainable grown, organic fruit. It is an experience that reconnects people with nature and the true essence of farming,” noted Andrea Chinchiolo.

She is part of a fourth generation San Joaquin County farming family that is opening their 80-acre orchard at 21611 Carrolton Avenue, just north of River Road, for u-picking adventures.

If you’re traveling east out of Manteca on Highway 120 or west out of Escalon-Oakdale on Highway 120, it is a south turn onto Carrolton Road (the intersection with St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on one corner) and several miles down to where you will see a sign proclaiming that you are welcome to their orchard.

They offer complimentary tractor rides through their orchard, no reservations needed.

Visitors can sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenic beauty of the trees.

The farming family — father Steve, daughter Andrea, and sons Alex and Adam — along with knowledgeable guides will share stories about their family’s farming legacy and the history of the orchard.

They also will answer questions about organic farming and explain what it takes to go from a sapling to a tree that produces bushels of sought after apples.

You might wonder why San Joaquin County — which produced 41,300 tons of apples in 2021 second behind only El Dorado County with 51,600 tons and ahead of third place Santa Cruz County with 29,907 tons — is such a great place to grow apples.

After all, it seems counterintuitive given all the pastoral images of apple trees on rolling hills that El Dorado and Santa Cruz counties can conjure up.

The answer is simple. It is the same reason why San Joaquin County is by far the largest wine grape growing county in the state as well as the largest watermelon growing county in California.

The sandy loam, heat, and cooling Delta breezes pump up the sugar content.

Four apple varieties flourish in San Joaquin County — Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady.

Early Fujis tend to be the most popular thanks to being crunchy and sweet. But as any connoisseur of apples knows there are dozens of popular apple varieties with their own unique taste going from sweet to tart as well as what they are ideal for creating in the kitchen.

That said, the Chinchiolo family opted to focus on organically grown apples that are not only among the “big four” that come from orchards within San Joaquin County, but on other varieties that grow well here as well.

As an aside, there are more than 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. And each one is different — even if only in subtle ways — when it comes to taste, texture, crispiness, and such.

Why apples?

That 120 years-plus appropriation of a proverb fashioned to boost the consumption of apples — an apple a day keeps the doctor away — was not just some line a Madison Avenue copywriter plucked out of thin air.

Research in western Australia, England and the State of Washington all point to no matter how you slice it, apples have anti-oxidants in their skins, triterpenoids that suppress inflammation, probiotic fiber that feeds good bacteria in the gut, and other properties that reduce cardiovascular disease and may even extend longevity.

Why take advantage of a u-pick orchard literally in your own backyard?

Bite into an early season Fuji apple from your go-to supermarket.

It might be crisp, but it is far from fresh.

That’s because it is likely from the remnants of last year’s crop put on ice for a number of months.

Or it could have come to your store’s produce department by a slow boat from South America.

How the u-pick process works is simple.

Lucky You Orchards provides you a basket and a few quick tips before you head out to roam the orchard to pick your fruit.

All fruit picked is charged $2.99 a pound.

Pre-picked fruit is also available for sale.

You are welcome to take photos and even bring your own picnic lunch.

If you head out to the orchard keep in mind to wear sturdy shoes and use sun block, perhaps sun hats, and bug spray for the occasional mosquito. Bring water.

Families also like to bring a blanket and relax after picking. They ask that you keep your pets at home.

Most important of all be prepared to have fun — and to be surprised.

The apple growers can share countless stories of encounters with families where parents are excited that their kids embrace the adventure so whole-heartedly that they put away their devices.

The power of picking apples with family and friends in an orchard instead of reaching into a bowl for an apple was thoroughly reflected in a sight Andrea saw two years ago.

A young child who was enthusiastically enjoying a lollipop, literally tossed it aside in favor of enjoying a freshly picked apple.

Yes, they are that sweet.

And the experience is that cool of a thing for kids.

For more information, go to LuckyYouOrchards.com.