{"id":205,"date":"2026-03-19T17:22:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/?p=205"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:28:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:28:22","slug":"apple-pyo-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/?p=205","title":{"rendered":"&#x1f34e;Apple PYO Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Apple Season begins in mid-August with Premier Honeycrisp and ends in late November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple <strong>Pick Your Own <\/strong>begins around early September and lasts through the last weekend in October. Of course, this is all weather-dependent. Tractors run on Saturdays and some walkable PYO will be available throughout the season.   Watch the website for details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rules<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do NOT throw the apples.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do NOT overfill your provided 1\/2 Bushel bag.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children must be monitored at all times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As with other fruit, sampling is OK, but gluttony is theft.\u00a0 We want you to know what you are picking, but\u00a0<em>please<\/em>\u00a0do not eat more than one.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not wander to other fields. &nbsp;Only pick the fruit that is advertised as being ripe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is OK to sit for a short while and enjoy our farm.&nbsp; But please understand that we are not a park, and need to cover our costs by selling food.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you&#8217;ve picked it, we expect you to pay for it unless the apple has significant flaws.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Pick the Best Apple<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make sure the apple you&#8217;re eyeing is firm and has no soft or blemished areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose the size you want. Some people prefer small apples for snacks and bigger ones for baking or sharing, so pick the size you like.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you&#8217;ve chosen your perfect apple, give the apple a light twist and pull down. A ripe apple should come off easily without much force.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>After Picking Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Handle them gently<\/strong>. Apples bruise easily, so don\u2019t drop or squeeze them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for damaged apples<\/strong>. Use bruised ones first so they don\u2019t spoil the others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep them cool<\/strong>. Store apples in a <strong>cool place or the refrigerator<\/strong> to keep them fresh longer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t wash right away<\/strong>. Wash apples <strong>just before eating<\/strong>, not before storing, so they last longer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep them dry<\/strong>. Moisture can make apples spoil faster.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At room temperature, apples can last about 5-12 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the refrigerator: about 4\u20136 weeks for softer apples and 4 months for firmer apples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Our Apple Varieties<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Beginning<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Suggested Use<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Premier Honeycrisp<\/strong><\/td><td>August<\/td><td>Sweet and very crispy. The best early apple we have ever had!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Gala<\/strong><\/td><td>Late August &#8211; Early Sept<\/td><td>One of America&#8217;s most popular eating apples. Available pyo.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ruby Mac<\/strong><\/td><td>Early Sept<\/td><td>This is a very red McIntosh that ripens several weeks before its parent. Beautiful and great tasting.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Summerset<\/strong><\/td><td>Early Sept<\/td><td>A new variety, this early apple is large, sweet and juicy with great texture. As good as Honeycrisp with different flavor.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Autumn Crisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Early September<\/td><td>This apple is sweet, super crunchy, and perfect for fresh snacks, salads, or enjoying with a little cheese.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>HoneyCrisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Early Sept<\/td><td>The apple that apple fanatics crave. It has a texture like no other apple.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Golden Supreme<\/strong><\/td><td>Early Sept<\/td><td>A golden apple that has more flavor than Golden Delicious<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Senshu<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid Sept<\/td><td>Great snacking apple. This is an early Fuji.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Holiday<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid Sept<\/td><td>Snappy All Purpose with lots of flavor &#8212; Glenn&#8217;s Favorite!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Crimson Crisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid-Late Sept<\/td><td>Our hardest apple and one of our best eating apples. Cooks well and stores well.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Jonagold<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid-Late Sept<\/td><td>An excellent eating apple. Crisp and sweet. Very similar to Honeycrisp.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Golden Delicious<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid Sept<\/td><td>Snacks, baking<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Red Delicious<\/strong><\/td><td>Late Sept<\/td><td>Classic Snacker (and our east coast Reds taste a lot better than the ones from Washington!)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ludacrisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Late Sept<\/td><td>This new apple is as crazy as its name. Lots of acid &amp; the riper it gets, the more flavors it imparts: juicy fruit gum, banana, tropical notes&#8230; One of our favorites!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Crispin<\/strong><\/td><td>Late Sept<\/td><td>Also called Mutsu, a green apple with a sweet taste<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Suncrisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Early October<\/td><td>This apple routinely wins taste contests for its complex tropical flavors.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Pink Lady<\/strong><\/td><td>Early October<\/td><td>Tart &amp; Crunchy. We have several strains of Pink Lady so harvest extends from the beginning of the month to the end.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Stayman<\/strong><\/td><td>Early October<\/td><td>Perhaps your grandmother&#8217;s favorite. Good for Everything!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>York Imperial<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid October<\/td><td>A true heritage apple, discovered in nearby York, PA. THE BEST baking apple.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Rome Beauty<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid October<\/td><td>Baking, Sauce. Perhaps our most beautiful apple.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Evercrisp<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid Oct<\/td><td>Great texture, juiciness, flavor, sweetness, and unmatched storage potential make this one of the best apples available. A must try.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Cameo<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid Oct<\/td><td>A customer favorite, it has good flavor, texture, and stores well.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Nittany<\/strong><\/td><td>Mid October<\/td><td>Firm, Sweet, Great Eating! Long Lasting. Related to York.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Fuji<\/strong><\/td><td>Late Oct<\/td><td>Excellent eating. Also good for baking<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Granny Smith<\/strong><\/td><td>Late Oct<\/td><td>Tart Eating, Baking. This green apple is a classic.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>*Harvest dates are subject to change due to weather. Chart last updated March 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple Season begins in mid-August with Premier Honeycrisp and ends in late November. Apple Pick Your Own begins around early September and lasts through the last weekend in October. Of course, this is all weather-dependent. Tractors run on Saturdays and some walkable PYO will be available throughout the season. Watch the website for details. Rules [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infield-links"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions\/218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shaworchards.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}