It's that time of the season when so many incredible varieties are available, it's hard to choose which apples to take home. You may be looking for a sweet, juicy eating apple or something tart and firm. If you're planning on baking your Thanksgiving pies, you may want a variety with a balance of flavour but a texture that holds up in the oven. Here's a guide to what's picking at Nature's Bounty and our recommended uses:

• Honeycrisp: We still have plenty of Honeycrisp available, but they won't last much longer. Large, crunchy and busting with sweet juice, Honeycrisp might make you forget there are other apples in the orchard.
• Gala: Perfect for eating or mixed with other apples for a crisp, Gala have a sweet, mellow flavour. The remaining Gala have a vibrant red colour.
• McIntosh: You may have to dig into the trees to find them but there are still McIntosh left in the orchard. If you miss the Macs this weekend, we will have pre-picked bags starting next week. Great for eating and cider.
• Crimson Crisp: New this week! Firm, deep red, and strikingly tart, Crimson Crisp help to balance the sweetness of other apples in sauce, pies and other goodies. For home cider makers, try these in the mix.
• Blondee: Similar to a Ginger Gold in appearance, but with more complex flavour and slightly more crunch, this sweet yellow apple is an up-and-comer. Try one this weekend!
• Cortland: The classic choice for salads and sliced for lunches (because it is slow to brown) these sweet/tart apples are extra large this year. An excellent choice for baking.
• Empire: New this week! Empire are smaller, sweet apples that offer a satisfying crunch and a gush of juice. Their deep plum-red colouring is beautiful on the trees.

Also available this weekend is Macoun, Silken, and Spartan. Hope to see you at the orchard!

As the season progresses, some varieties finish and give way to others. Those who fell in love with Ginger Gold and Wealthy may find a few left in the trees but both varieties have been thoroughly picked. Not to worry; we have a few new additions to the picking list. Here's a look at what will be ready for this coming weekend:

• Honeycrisp: The season's most anticipated apple is finally here! Large, crunchy and busting with sweet juice, Honeycrisp might make you forget there are other apples in the orchard.
• Gala: At their peak, make sure to get your Gala picked this week or next. 
• McIntosh: Ontario's apple! Now more sweet than tart, we still have a few rows of Macs available. 
• Blondee: Similar to a Ginger Gold in appearance, but with more complex flavour and slightly more crunch, this sweet yellow apple is an up-and-comer. Try one this weekend!
• Cortland: The classic choice for salads and sliced for lunches (because it is slow to brown) these sweet/tart apples are extra large this year. An excellent choice for baking.
• Spartan: Possibly the best baking variety currently available, Spartan will maintain a slight crunch when cooked and the subtle tang mellows with heat. For sauce, try cooking with skins on and puree for a deep redish-brown colour.

Keep an eye out for updates on Macoun and Empire as they will be ready soon!

Arguably the season's most anticipated apple, Honeycrisp are finally ready at Nature's Bounty. This year's Honeycrisp have grown to a large size and are full of juice thanks to the summer rains. The many hot, sunny days helped the apples develop great flavour and lots of sugar, and a few chilly nights have turned the skins a vibrant red. After testing today, these beauties are ready for picking!

We are often asked why Honeycrisp are more expensive than other common varieties like McIntosh or Gala. The answer is that they are more difficult to grow! Honeycrisp trees are inherently less sturdy than other trees and must be supported by a trellis system to hold the weight of the branches. As the fruit matures, it must be aggressively thinned to prevent the tree from overproducing. This process requires many extra hours of manual labour. Finally, Honeycrisp are chalk-full of vitamins and minerals, but the trees have difficulty extracting them from the soil so growers must supplement the trees with calcium, magnesium and copper; another added cost.

In the end, it's hard to beat the crunch, taste and juice that the Honeycrisp offers, which make them satisfying to grow despite the extra costs and labour. We know that many people look forward to Honeycrisp picking each fall so we strive to maintain our supply by planting new trees every few years. We do hope to see you at the orchard this weekend and next while Honeycrisp are at their peak of ripeness.

If you didn't make it out to the orchard for opening weekend, there is still plenty of time to visit this season, and more varieties available every week. Here's a look at what will be ready this weekend:

• Gala: A fall favourite, there are 4 rows ready this weekend, with more Gala ready in the coming weeks. 
• McIntosh: Ontario's apple! Perfect for snacking, sauce, or mixed in pie, this red blush variety is at its peak. If you're a Mac person, this is a great weekend to pick.
• Silken: A smaller, sweet and yellow apple. These are perfect for school lunches and make a great addition to a batch of sauce.
• Ginger Gold: A surprise favourite among first-time visitors. These sweet, juicy apples now have a slight pink blush. Great for eating fresh, these beauties won't last much longer.
• Wealthy: If you can't wait to start baking, Wealthy is now full of sweet, apple flavour and just a hint of tartness which mellows in the oven. These will soon be picked clean!
• Early Gold: We have half bushel (~20lbs) bags of Early Gold, selling for $15 each! Perfect for a big batch of apples sauce, no additional sugar needed. 
• Honeycrisp: The star of the apple season. Our Honeycrisp are getting redder by the day but still need a bit more time to develop delicious sugars. Picking September 17.

This summer, we've seen plenty of sunshine and ample rainfall so our trees are weighed down with a healthy crop. As our first weekend of the season approaches, here is an update on current picking and upcoming varieties.

• Ginger Gold: There are plenty of large, sweet Ginger Gold in the orchard. The perfect variety to satisfy your craving for fresh, in-season apples. Now picking!
• Silken: This slightly smaller apple packs a punch with flavour, which will continue to improve over the next two weeks. Now picking!
• Wealthy: Can't wait to bake your first pie or make a batch of smooth apple sauce? This tart apple is one of the earliest baking varieties available. Now picking!
• Gala: A fall favourite, some of our Gala will be ready this weekend, with more Gala ready in the coming weeks. Available September 8.
• McIntosh: Ontario's apple! Perfect for snacking, sauce, or mixed in pie, this red blush variety is ready now (but still on the tart side) and get sweeter over the next few weeks. Available September 10.
• Honeycrisp: The star of the apple season. Our Honeycrisp have sized and started to colour nicely, but are still a few weeks away from picking. Available September 22.

Check the homepage frequently as available varieties are updated daily!
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