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Apple U-Pick Orchards in Alaska in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Fairbanks North Star Borough

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

  • Fire Apple Orchard & Gardens - No pesticides are used apples, cherries, porta-potties
    4214 S. Andrea Drive, Wasilla, AK 99654. Phone: (907) 373-6317. Email: fireapple@mtaonline.net. Open: Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm; Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm, Friday to Saturday from10 am to 6; Closed on Monday. Directions: From Wasilla proceed north on the Parks Highway to mile 51.5. Turn left on Johnsons Road and proceed two miles to Hollywood Road. Cross Hollywood onto Andrea Drive and proceed one half mile to the end where you will see a wooden fence, gate and a big yellow sign. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . . We do not use pesticides on the crops. Opens on Mothers Day until freeze up; Call before coming to be sure we are open. Cherry u-pick starting in late July. If you are interested in cherries, call starting on July 1st to get on the cherry u-pick list. Apple u-pick from middle of August until freeze up and it is first come first served; Picking times vary based on weather;. Grafting classes taught every April. Apple trees, sweet and tart cherry trees and bushes, plums, honeyberries (Haskaps), gooseberries, currants and various perennials. (UPDATED: August 10, 2020) (ADDED: June 13, 2017)

 

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)