Beth McDaniel’s In Search of the Best column explores her adventures in food around Northern Kentucky as she looks for the best … everything! If you have an idea for the perfect something, email Beth at mcdaniel.elizabeth@gmail.com. Click here to meet all of our food writers.
At the first hint of fall, it’s everything pumpkin. Lattes, cheesecake, dips and of course, décor.
But the real star of September is the apple—red and juicy and ripe for the picking. So, I say: Pumpkins, pumpkins, all in good time. Apples deserve their chance to shine!
To enjoy the best local apples, especially if you like to get it on the picking, my very favorite place is McGlasson Farms in Hebron.
The McGlasson family has been living and farming on this spot for six generations, and if you make it for a visit, you’ll understand why they’d never want to leave this little piece of heaven.
Their locally grown fruits and vegetables are considered to be the very best by many, from neighbors down the road to loyal out-of-towners and local chefs who each swear by their own seasonal favorites.
Best of all, McGlasson Farms offers you the chance to pick your own fruit, starting with strawberries, then blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, and (eventually, yes) pumpkins. Of course, if you’d rather not, you can simply visit the farm stand.
For apples in September, head to the farm when the sky is blue and the clouds are fluffy, and be sure to take scenic Route 8 along the river. You may just be in for a perfect day!
When my 10-year-old daughter and I arrived in early September, I had it in mind to recreate the experience in “Applesauce Day,” a favorite seasonal book by Lisa J. Amstutz. In it, a family goes apple picking and then heads to grandma’s house to make homemade applesauce.
This idea in head, we paid for our bag and headed out to McGlasson’s u-pick orchard, meeting a variety of butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers along the way.
Sadly, this year’s scorching heat and drenching rains were unkind to the older trees in McGlasson’s u-pick orchard, making it likely that the u-pick season that typically stretches from late August to almost Halloween will be cut far shorter than usual.
Be sure to call if you have your heart set on picking your own, but rest assured that McGlasson’s still has plenty of apples for sale, picked by the family in orchards farther up the hill from trees that weather the weather better.
You’ll find so many varieties (32, in fact, throughout the season), in various shades of ruby and pink as well as yellows and greens, with names like Paula Red, Early Blaze, and Pristine. Many of McGlasson’s apples are heirloom varieties, which is a beautiful thing—contributing to the diversity of the local apple crop but also preserving history and heritage.
Luckily, my daughter and I arrived early enough to pick our own apples, though it did take some perseverance on our part. Just when we were about to admit defeat, we found a tree whose generous bounty filled our bag to bulging.
Back at the farm stand, we couldn’t resist also picking up a few hand-dipped caramel apples and some fresh apple cider. Get the gallon. You’ll be glad you did, and it’ll save you a trip back for more—though that may be warranted anyway.
At McGlasson’s they press cider twice a week with whatever varieties are available. That means the taste changes from batch to batch and week to week! So, you might just want to see if you can tell the difference.
However you’d like to gather them up, be sure to get a variety of apples, and let them be your muse. Maybe you want to host a little apple tasting to discover your favorites. Maybe you want to re-live a memory by making a beloved family recipe.
My daughter and I made applesauce, just like the book—and just like my grandma used to do. I remember she’d often get a jar from the garage and serve it with whatever we were having for dinner.
While I’d like to insist that you try to make it out to McGlasson Farms, you may have your reasons for wanting to enjoy apple season a little closer to home, and possibly with less time spent in the kitchen.
Fortunately, I have the perfect solution: Visit North South Baking Company on Pike St. in Covington where you can enjoy McGlasson Farms apples baked into gorgeous galettes, pies, cruffins (yes, cruffins!), crumbles, and other delights made by local baking rockstar Kate Nycz.
Photo provided by North South Baking Company.
Photo provided by North South Baking Company.
Kate especially loves baking with Arkansas black apples, an heirloom variety. But she also swears that McGlasson’s has the best tomatoes around, which she uses in her savory pastries and sandwiches. So, if you make it out to Hebron, better grab a few of those as well.
McGlasson Farms is located at 5832 River Rd. in Hebron. The farm is open seven days a week from July 1-November from 9am-5pm weekdays and 9am-6pm weekends. Be prepared to pay with cash, check, or Venmo. McGlasson’s does not accept credit cards.
North South Baking Company is located at 39 W. Pike St. in Covington. Stop in Wednesday-Friday from 7am-4pm and 7am-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. Follow them on Instagram to see what’s baking.