As the leaves get ready to change, those on the hunt for fresh fruit likely won't be far from a tree.
Apple season is in full swing, as familiar varieties begin to ripen ahead of fall -- and more are on their way.
Many farmers are reporting that apples are running a tad ahead of schedule in Northeast Ohio, as certain varieties are ripening sooner than expected.
"There's a good crop of apples this year," said John Huffman, one of the owners of Huffman Fruit Farm in southern Mahoning County. "We're picking Jonamac, Mcintosh (and) Cortland already, which is early for them."
Huffman has over 20 acres of fruits and vegetables on the farm. He said there are a few apple varieties that are ready to pick now, but different varieties get ready at different times.
"Right now, it's Gala and Jonamac," he said. "It's the end of September before a lot of the kinds are ripe enough to taste any good at all."
In Tuscarawas Township, Isaac Yoder, the owner of Sunny Slope Orchard, is excited to introduce three new apples into his lineup this October: Rosalie, Sweet Zinger and Ludacrisp.
"Most of these new apples are crosses of two existing varieties that are well-known," he said. "Sweet Zinger, it tastes like honeyed citrus, so you have sweet and tart, ... (Rosalie) is also a sweet and tart apple but the skin disappears in your mouth. It doesn't even seem like you're eating an apple ... and then to describe Ludacrisp, (it) tastes like Juicy Fruit bubblegum. It's the fullest flavored apple I know of."
Yoder said he's been observing an earlier apple season as well.
"We had a really warm winter, so things just came out of dormancy way too soon," he said. "The trees started popping out two or three weeks earlier than normal."
In addition to the new apples coming in October, Pixie Crunch will come to Sunny Slope Orchard this month.
"(Pixie Crunch) is just an awesome apple," he said. "Kids love it. It's a smaller apple. It's very red and very sweet, like caramelly sweet."
Yoder said picking dates will last through early November, but the store will be open all winter.
Hillcrest Orchard, 2474 Walnut St., Walnut Creek; 330-893-9906. Pick-your-own apples available 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday until the middle or end of October, tentatively. Call for updates on pick-your-own availability.
Scenic Ridge Fruit Farm, 2031 state Route 89, Jeromesville; 419-368-3353; or baumanorchards.com/locations/scenic-ridge. Pick-your-own apples will be available beginning Sept. 14 and will continue every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 5. Apples offered will be similar to years prior, and will likely include Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Marigold, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Fuji and Melrose, but this may vary.
Springhill Fruit Farm, 5646 Ganges-Five Points Road, Shiloh; 419-896-2866; springhill-fruit-farm.com. Pick-your-own apples are available from Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last. Varieties include Honeycrisp, Pixie crunch, Cortland, Macintosh and Jonathan. Call to confirm pick-your-own availability.
Manfull Orchards, 8146 Kensington Road, Augusta; 330-895-4861; manfullorchards.com; [email protected]. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Call for more information.
Dillon Fruit Farm, Lisbon; 330-424-5169; dillonfruitfarm.com. Pick-your-own apples will be available on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the month of September. Varieties will change weekly. Call for more information on weekly pick-your-own varieties.
Sanor's Fruit Farm, 2514 State Route 172, Minerva; 330-894-2375. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call for updates.
Geig's Orchard, 8468 Wooster Pike, Seville; 330-769-3276; www.geigsorchard.com. Pick-your-own apples will be for two weekends in the fall, the first being Sept. 28 and 29 and the second being Oct. 5 and 6. Saturday pick-your-own availability will be 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5:30 p.m. Varieties may include Golden Delicious, Shizuka, Jonagold, Cortland, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, Melrose, but different apples will be available each weekend. Visit Geig's Orchard on Facebook for updates.
Hillside Orchard, 2397 Center Road, Hinckley; 330-225-4748; hillsidefarmfresh.com; [email protected]. Pick-your-own apples will be the first two weekends in October, those being Oct. 5 and 6 and Oct. 12 and 13. On Saturdays, pick-your-own will be from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays from 12-5 p.m. Call for information on varieties.
Beckwith Orchards, 1617 Lake Rockwell Road, Kent; 330-673-6433; www.beckwithorchards.com. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Visit https://www.beckwithorchards.com/#varieties for apple types and harvest dates. No pick-your-own, but gift shop sells apples.
Monroe's Orchard & Farm Market, 6313 Pioneer Trail, Hiram; 330-569-7464; monroesorchard.com; [email protected]. Pick-your-own apples are every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will likely last until the first week of October, but this is tentative. Visit Monroe's Orchard on Facebook for updates.
Stahl's Farm Market, 4560 State Route 14, Ravenna; 330-325-0640. Pick-your-own apples will be available at the North Benton location. Visit Stahl's Farm Market on Facebook or call for pick-your-own apples dates and varieties available. Stahl's operates separate facilities, in Ravenna and North Benton, but uses a single Facebook page for both.
Apple Hill Orchards, 1175 Lexington-Ontario Road, Mansfield; 419-884-1500. And at 16908-16970 Upper Fredericktown Amity Road, Fredericktown; 740-694-7688; [email protected]; applehillorchards.com. Mansfield location open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m-6 p.m. Sunday. Fredericktown location open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-5 p.m. weekends. Pick-your-own apples now through early November at either location.
Arrowhead Orchard, 11724 Lisbon St. SE, Paris; 330-862-2733; www.ArrowheadOrchard.com; [email protected]. Call for more information.
Sunny Slope Orchard, 14960 Millersburg Road SW, Tuscarawas Township; 330-833-9415; sunnyslopeapples.com. Pick-your-own dates are ongoing throughout the fall and last until early November. Varieties available to pick will change each week. Visit Sunny Slope Orchard on Facebook for more information.
Varian Orchards, 6340 Orchard View Drive SE, Osnaburg Township; 330-705-2607; varianorchards.com. Pick-your-own apples will not be offered, but they are sold 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Varieties include Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Macintosh and Melrose.
Kuner's Fruit Farm, 5424 S. Arlington Road, Green; 330-896-1391. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. No pick-your-own apples, but the market sells them.
Bauman Orchards Farm Market, 161 Rittman Ave., Rittman; 330-925-6861; [email protected]; baumanorchards.com. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Pick-your-own-apples is set to begin Sept. 20. Call for updates regarding availability and variety. Also, The Corner Market, 10370 Akron Road (corner of state Routes 585 and 57) in Rittman, sells apples.
Moreland Fruit Farms, 1558 W. Moreland Road, Wooster; 330-264-8735. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Call for more information.
Rittman Orchards & Farm Market, 13548 Mount Eaton Road N, Doylestown; 330-925-4152; http://rittmanorchards.com, [email protected]. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Pick-your-own apples are available now, but varieties depend on crowds and weather. Visit their Facebook page or call for updates on availabilities.