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Apple And Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Capital Region (aka Hudson Valley) of New York State in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples and pumpkins that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples and pumpkins 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.

  • Indian Ladder Farms - apples, blueberries, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, gift shop, concessions \\/ refreshment stand, porta-potties, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, group reservations
    342 Altamont Road, Altamont, NY 12009. Phone: (518) 765-2956. Email: info@indianladderfarms.com. Open: PYO Times Vary Daily; Call our PYO Hotline. Directions: From Albany: Route 20 west Route 155 south, Route 85a west, Route 156 west, Farm on left. Berry PYO Begins in June and Apple PYO Begins Labor Day Weekend. Payment: Cash, Check, ApplePay, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, ApplePay, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Indian Ladder Farms Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 866-640-PICK. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. strives to provide apples of superior taste and quality, while maintaining a healthy ecologically-balanced growing environment. In addition to pick-your-own apples and pumpkins in the fall, we have pick-your-own berries through the summer. Visit our farm menagerie and say "hi" to Simon, our donkey, and many others. Our nature trail will lead you by orchards, marshes, woods, and fields.Pick Your Own red raspberries, black raspberries and blueberries are available in the Pick Your Own from late June through August, weather and picking conditions permitting. Berries are picked by the quart or a six-quart flat. In late July plums become available for picking while supplies last. Early apples become available for picking starting in August. (UPDATED: July 14, 2021)
    Comments from a visitor on October 23, 2008: "My favorite place to go in the fall :)"
  • Stanton's Feura Farm - strawberries, raspberries, apples and pumpkins
    210 Onesquethaw Creek Road, Feura Bush, NY 12067. Phone: (518) 768-2344. Email: feurafarm@aol.com. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From NYS Thruway Exit 23 take Route 9W south to Route 32. Follow Route 32 south 1 mile past the village of Feura Bush and make a slight right onto Onesquethaw Creek Road The farm is 1 mile down the road. Payment: Cash, only. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
    Stanton's Feura Farm Facebook page. . Fax:. Facebook page. Availability of crops: Strawberries-- Mid June ~ Raspberries-- Early September ~ Apples-- Mid September ~ Pumpkins-- October. We also grow many more fresh market crops .

Apple picking tips:

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

Pumpkin recipes

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