Apple Picking in Southeast Wisconsin

Fall is a great time to get off the beaten path and head to your local orchard in Southeast Wisconsin for some apple picking memories.

Make Some Apple Picking Memories in Southeast Wisconsin

Heading to the local orchard is the quintessential activity for fall and for making some apple picking memories. Besides, nothing compares to a fresh picked apple.

That’s why apple picking is such a great activity for families of all ages, especially here in southeastern Wisconsin.

For me, I’ve tried to make it my go-to event each fall, even though my kids have become young adults. There’s something about the lure of picking apples right off the tree.

It’s also a great excuse to indulge in gathering a bushel (or two) of apples for a variety of recipes. Some of my favorites are:

• Easy Fried Apples
• Classic French Apple Tart Tatin
• Apple Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Annabel Langbein One Pot Spiced Apple Cake
• Sweet Potato and Apple Gratin
• Old Fashioned Apple Tart with Apricot Glaze
• Caramel Apple Cheese Ball
• Easy Apple Stuffing

You’ll find the taste of fresh picked apples when made into a homemade apple pie or tart can’t be beat.

Here in Southeast Wisconsin, we have a lot of orchards that grow apples, pears and cherries locally. That is because the weather and soil offers the best of all worlds for growing these fruit.

One orchard that is worth noting, however, is Peck and Bushel Fruit Company, located in Colgate. This orchard is unique in that it is one of the only Certified Organic Apple Orchards in Southeast Wisconsin that offers organic fruit for picking and purchase.

But not all orchards are equal. Some orchards allow for folks to pick-your-own (PYO) while others might only offer pre-picked apples from their site.

They might also have limited hours for visitors to come to their orchards, or have an exhaustive schedule for folks and school kids to visit.

AppelTreow Winery & Distillery – If you are a wine or spirit conneseuior , you might want to visit this local establishment at Brightonwoods Orchards in Burlington, Wisconsin. This winery and distillery specializes in apple and pear fruit wines, dessert wines and hard ciders, as well as, apple cider, perry and spirits (special brandies and sorghum whisky)–all made on-site. They also offer tastings and group tours.

From a family point of view, some sites provide a variety of activities for youngsters, like hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin picking, apple cider making, while others offer a limited experience with few activities outside picking apples or being able to walk the grounds.

And, speaking of find out what’s available, what you might not know is that each apple variety ripens at a different time. For the most part, apple season runs approximately from August to the end of October here in southeast Wisconsin.

Some varieties overlap which is great if you are visiting a site and want to pick a number of different apples. But some ripen super early or really late in the season. Which means you might have to plan your outing accordingly to get the apples you want.

My best advice is to check out each orchard’s website or contact them directly to find out what is available to do on site.

List of Southeast Wisconsin Apple Orchards

Make some apple picking memories this year by visiting of of these apple orchards here in Southeast Wisconsin.

(Note: This is a non-exhaustive list. To see if there’s an apple orchard near you, check out the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association Listing.)

• Barthel Fruit Farm – Mequon 
• Apple Barn Orchard and Winery – Elkhorn 
• Nieman Orchards – Cedarburg
• Peck and Bushel Fruit Company – Colgate
• Apple Holler – Sturevant
• Door Creek Orchard – Cottage Grove
• Jelli’s Farm – Helenville
• The Appleberry Farm – Cross Plains
• The Orchard Store – Franksville
• Elegant Farmer – Mukwonago
• Brightonwoods Orchard – Burlington
• Harvest Time Orchards – Twin Lakes
• Apple Barn Orchard and Winery – Elkhorn

For more great travel and family-friendly activities, be sure to check out Wisconsin Homemaker’s Travel Section.