Tree-to-Table Guide to Apple Picking in the Hamptons

There are a few misnomers about the East End come fall. The first is the Hamptons’ best time of year sunsets when the calendar flips past Labor Day. The second? That UPick fun is relegated to the North Fork. While it’s true the North Fork has its share of farms with apples ripe for picking and, soon enough, pumpkins, the South Fork also has its bounty, including institutions like Milk Pail and Hank’s PumpkinTown (whose name is also something of a misnomer – the apple orchard and family fun offerings provide a Hamptons-based alternative to Harbes).

And that’s good news for people who adore apples, a versatile, nutrient-dense food that may not keep the doctor away but plays well on everything from salads to donuts. Yet, some apples are better suited for certain meals, snacks and treats than others. And, while apple picking is a quintessential fall-fun activity, there’s also a “right” way to pick an apple. A local chef and farmer chimed in with tips to help ensure you like those apples. 

Picking and Storage

If you’re going to go through the effort of picking your own apples or even going to the grocery store at peak hours, you’ll want to grab the best of the bunch. When choosing an apple, there are a few green and red flags to look out for — and that’s only the beginning. Local pros shared ways to pick, store and prolong the life of apples.

1. Know what’s ripe and ready. Orchards often rope off certain areas for a reason: the apples aren’t ripe yet. “Make sure you are only picking in open ripe rows,” said Hank Kraszewski of Hank’s PumpkinTown. “Some varieties may be deceiving even though they may have a good size, but that doesn’t always mean they’re ripe.”
2. Looks matter. To a large extent, you can judge an apple by its cover. “Look for a nice-sized apple with good coloring that is blemish-free,” Kraszewski said.
3. Handle with care from the tree to your plate. Treat apples like precious cargo from the moment you pluck them from the tree. “When picking an apple, place it in your bag rather than tossing it,” Kraszewski said. “Transport them home with care. Try to avoid them rolling around your car, and don’t stack anything on top of them.”
4. That’s cold. While a fruit bowl is an aesthetically pleasing centerpiece, Kraszewski said apples keep longer in the fridge.

Kraszewski said the late-season Fuji apples at his family’s farm tend to keep the longest. Joe Isidori, the owner and executive chef of Arthur & Son’s, says the Granny Smith apple is a safe bet if you want a shelf-stable variety. 

An Apple for Every Craving and Need

Apples can add tartness or sweetness to a salad and are a star in the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, the apple pie. But which should you choose for which?

Kraszewski says the Gala is a slam dunk if you’re hankering for something sweet. However, he and his brood generally reach for the crisp Snow Sweet, which is a touch tart. 

Kraszewski loves a Granny Smith apple for its tartness and says it plays perfectly in a sweet treat recipe: The caramel apple.

“A tart crisp apple balances out the sweetness of the caramel,” Kraszewski said.

Isidori is also a fan of Granny Smith and loves adding these apples to blue-cheese-topped salads. He also puts them in pies, echoing Kraszewski’s sentiments about caramel apples (Isidori also uses Granny Smiths in candy apples).

“The tartness pairs well with the brown sugar,” Isidori said.

The Kraszewski family doesn’t use just one variety in their baked goods.

“Anything we bake — whether it be pie, crisps or apple sauces — [includes] a blend of three apples,” Kraszewski said. “Our blend of choice for baking is Mutsu, Jonagold and Honeycrisp, but we will blend whatever we have available at any given time. We just try to blend at least one sweeter apple and one tarter apple.”

Kraszewski also peeled back the curtain on the cider donuts that draw visitors from East to West to the Water Mill farm and Southampton farmstand.

“Our cider donuts are made with apple cider, not actual apple pieces,” Kraszewski said. “For cider, we like a blend as well. Again, it all depends on what is ready for harvest at any given time. We work with what we have, but our preference for cider is Gala, Fuji and Cortland.”

An Apple-Centric Recipe You Won’t Want to Toss

Isidori mentioned enjoying apples on top of salads, and he shared one of his go-to recipes for a dish that’s anything but a dull plate of greens. Unsurprisingly (if you’ve been following along), the family-style recipe calls for Granny Smith apples.