2009 – Southern Wisconsin Apple Picking Trip

We just finished our annual U-Pick apple trip to Southern Wisconsin. My younger sister Summer came for the trip. We picked 1/2 bushel of Cortland (my favorite), 1/2 bushel of Fuji, 1/2 bushel of Jonagored and a 1/2 bushel of Liberty.

We spent our 3 days and 2 nights at the Timber Ridge Lodge and waterpark just east of Lake Geneva. It’s an acceptable hotel (3 of 5 stars in my opinion) but perfect for young kids. We spent each afternoon in the waterpark as well as a few hours in the morning before we left.

I also forced the family to take a detour to a local Apple Cider winery and orchard before we headed home. Brightonwoods Orchard has over 200 varieties, most of them heirloom and was built on the foundation of a hobby orchard of a local doctor back in the 1930’s. The on premise AEppelTreow (Apple True) Winery makes Artesian Hard Cider using those apples to make some very nice hard ciders and wines. They have all natural fresh cider that is the best Summer and I have ever tasted. I’ve got a gallon of it already fermenting to see how it turns out for hard cider. They haven’t done anything to it except kill the bugs in it with UV lights.

Summer is sort of a wine snob, and I tell you this so you understand that when she purchased their Cyser Rose (honey and red-flesh crab apple..sorta a mead) I was shocked. I purchased 4 small bottles of their Barn Swallow Cider (kinda like Woodchuck but better) and Red Poll Cranberry Cider.