Hi everyone!  Just popping in to remind you that the 2018 apple season will start in less than one month!  We are planning on opening on August 15th from 9-5.  I’ll keep you updated on what varieties of apples we’ll have but my best guess is Paulared, Zestar!, Scarlet and Chenango Strawberry.  But – time (and the apples – they have to be ready!) will tell!

We’ll also have caramel apples for sure on opening day so if you’ve been craving them you don’t have to wait too much longer!

Keep an eye on the Lapacek’s Orchard instagram feed to see all the fun new things we’re getting ready for you this season!

I didn’t manage to snap a picture of any part of this applesauce process for the Zestar! but I can tell you – I really enjoyed the sauce they made.  It was quite incredible.  There was just a real depth to the flavor of the sauce, good texture –not super chunky, not too smooth.  It almost tasted like there was more than one kind of apple mixed in.  If you want an apple that is good for eating and sauce making – I would go Zestar! this time of year for sure.

Past Apple Tests:

• Baker's Mix
• Braeburn
• Cameo
• Dandee Red
• Fireside
• Fuji
• Gala
• Golden Delicious
• Granny Smith
• Jonathan
• MacIntosh
• NW Greening
• Scarlet
• Tolman Sweet
• Valstar

We opened up the apple store today – two weeks earlier than originally planned – but the apples were ready so we had to be.

It started out a bit rough – Jared got up early to make 14 caramel apples – 4 had been requested so we figured we’d be okay – you don’t want to make too many with the heat –the caramel sags with humidity. Once he finished we received a call requesting 7 more – back downstairs to heat the caramel and outside to pick a few more apples.

9:00 – we’re open! I only have Viking’s for sale – I promised people five kinds of apples and i just have one! ahhh! Unfortunately for us, the weather wasn’t working with us to make our opening morning run smoothly. It was raining just enough to keep the apples wet delaying dry time which also delays sorting.

9:01 – our first customer of the season arrives – I still don’t have much for apples. Luckily, it was the 7 caramel apple order. Turns out, she completely lucked out! She had no idea that today was our opening day and that we typically don’t open until mid-August. She had some family visiting and she wanted them to try the caramel apples so she thought of us. It was my lucky day because she didn’t want any apples.

By 9:15 I had some apples in stock and I was feeling okay.

The rest of the day ran fairly smoothly. We had a customer here and there and were able to accomplish a lot – like getting up the rest of the signs and even the barn quilt hung!

One thing you may notice as you pull into our orchard will be parts of the driveway coned off. This is so the girls can still have a little space to chalk and play without me worrying quite so much about cars. The girls also really enjoy chalking on the cones – of course, always pushing the limit!

New Product

You will see some new products at the orchard this year. The first that I want to tell you about are the Iron Art Glass. You can see a few hanging in between the gourds Diane dyed and painted for birdhouses. I mixed in a few more between the hanging plants on our little deck. They are just stunning up close and they are all handmade. The perfect addition to a window or garden nook. A variety of amazing products from Four Elements can also now be purchased at the orchard. We have herbal teas, infused oils, some soap, body butter bars, anointing perfume, moisture cream, and lip balm. I strongly recommend reading more about Four Elements HERE but one of the great things is that all these products are made close by in Baraboo, WI. I just love to support local! The other new thing I want to tell you about this season are ‘Grow-A-Note’ plant-able greeting cards from Greenfield Paper Company. These are just fantastic – seeds are part of the paper of these cards so after you send them instead of throwing the card away the receiver can plant it! A card and a gift in one!

These are just a few of the new things you can find at the orchard this year! Hope you can find some time to visit us tomorrow between 10 and 5 to check it all out! We still have LOTS of caramel apples! Yummy!

The rumors you’ve been hearing around the last few days are TRUE! Lapacek’s Orchard is opening two weeks early! We went around and tested a few of the early varieties and they are good to be consumed – fresh or cooked. We will be open the next two weekends – Saturday from 9-6 and Sunday 10-6 at our NEW location – N1959 Kroncke Rd, Poynette, WI. If you need apples during the week, just give me a call and we can set up an appointment (608) 635-4780. Already craving our deliciously famous caramel apples? No worries – we’ll be making some for this weekend! If you know for sure that you want some please email me (lapaceksorchard@gmail.com) with how many nuts/no nuts you would like. We don’t want to make too many with the warm weather and all.

I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of the new location! Everyone has been working hard to make it a fantastic experience for all that visit!

One of the newest early apples at our orchard is the ZESTAR! So far we’ve had really good response from people about the wonderful taste of the ZESTAR! It also happens to be Cedi’s favorite apple at the moment…may have something to do with one of the goats being named after it.

From the University of Minnesota Website:

GREAT CRISP TASTE
The most outstanding feature of a Zestar!™ Apple is its sprightly sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar. And, unlike other early season apples that are often soft or mealy, Zestar! is juicy with a light, crisp texture. Just one bite,and you will savor the zesty flavor and crunch.

ZESTAR! RIPENS EARLY
Growers and apple lovers will delight in this tasty apple that ripens so early in the season. Under Minnesota growing conditions, Zestar! fruit ripen in late August to early September, about the same time as Paulared®. It’s the perfect way to start the apple season on a good note.
EXCEPTIONAL EXTENDED STORAGE LIFE
Zestar! Apples maintain their great taste and crunch for 2-2 1/2 months in refrigeration. For consumers this means an apple that will give them a zesty crunch after hours in a lunchbox, days in a fruit bowl, or weeks in a refrigerator.
GOOD EYE APPEAL
Zestar! Apples are nice and round with an average diameter of approximately 3 inches. Their color is 60-85 percent red depending on exposure to the sun. Where the sun shines on the fruit, a bright rosy-red blush develops. Shaded areas are often creamy yellow. One Minnesota grower, who usually sees nice red color on at least half of each fruit pointed out, “My customers don’t care what it looks like, once it passes their lips!”

Make sure to ask us for a sample on your next visit to Lapacek’s Orchard!