Autumn begins Thursday and, whenever I think of this change in seasons, I think of apples. No surprise, the first dish that comes to mind is apple pie.
There are so many ways to make it. My mother used to shred the apples; some slice them thinly; others prefer a thicker slice for more of a bite.
Anne BralyBut whichever way you slice them, fortunately for us apple pie lovers, this season is excellent, at least for apple farms along the Cumberland Plateau, including Wheeler’s Orchard in Dunlap, Tenn.
“It’s one of the best crops we’ve had in years,” says Office Manager Valerie Wheeler. “We apparently got all the rain we needed at the right time.”
The farm also follows sustainable growing practices such as feeding the trees the correct nutrients needed to ensure a good crop of apples, whether they’re Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji or Jonagold – all available now – or Winesaps, Rome Beauty, Braeburn and others that come along a little later in the fall.