Donut Picking

Every fall people 'round these parts start to get all jazzed up about apple season.  Weekends revolve around when you're going to go picking.  Personally, I love to go picking.  Donut picking.  

There are many different places in the area for good apple picking, but for the real thing--the donut picking--there is only one: Saratoga Apple.  Their donuts are fresh and hot off the donut tree.  They make them right there.  Right in front of you!  It's a miracle of nature, I tell ya. 

 Donuts being harvested

Saratoga Apple is situated along Rt. 29 between Saratoga and Schuylerville.  Now, I have to say that over the years, Saratoga Apple has gone a little, for lack of a better term, corporate.  You used to be able to grab a bag, go pick some apples and then pay by the pound.  Now, you must buy a bag ($6!!!!).  Then you can go picking.  And then they charge you by the bagful.  So a $6 bag of apples ends up costing you $12.  I don't think so.  I know there are other, more reasonable, places to go apple picking  and I recommend you find one of them.  The place is a zoo on weekends, which is when Christina and I ventured out there.  But, really, there is no other place for apple cider donuts.  I mean, don't even try to convince me otherwise.  I know a good thing when I find it.

They also have very nice produce I have to say.
Gorgeous apples:

 

Honeycrisp are my fave (sweet, tart, light and crispy):

Cinderella pumpkins:

Fruits:

But really, we just came for the donuts.  They are out of this world.  Crisp and soft and slightly sweet with a hint of apple cider.  Ours were so hot we couldn't even eat them at first.  Does it get any better than that?

Donuts waiting to be picked.

While you're there you can also grab a hot dog (which I did).

Or do whatever it is people do in teepees.

We decided to wander across the road to Schuylerville Farms who sets up a giant corn maze every year.  It was at that moment I realized the perfect linguistic irony that is "corn maze".  Get it?  Corn?  Maize?  Aren't I smart?



There wasn't much going on there.  The corn maze was still being used for actual corn so that was a bummer.  In fact the whole place was a little sad and a tad creepy.

eek!

But wait!  There were pigs!

oink!

And ducks!

quack!

And, yes, YES, GOATS!!!!

rectangular pupils in full effect

Christina shared her honeycrisp apple core with this friendly fellow.

nom nom nom

We were about to shove off when we came across this sign:

Note: if it says "X-treme" it must be good.

How fun can that be you ask?   It was $2 for three chances to shoot a half cob of dried up corn out of an air cannon, but I tell you, I would probably have paid to shoot that thing all day.   It was so much fun!  Christina really got some air on the last one.

see it?

So, it was a pretty fun afternoon of apples, donuts and corn shooting.  I highly recommend making your way out to Saratoga Apple for some good old-fashioned donut picking.  It's a bumper crop this year!

 Byeeeeeee!