Apple pie, apple sauce, apple cake, apple butter, the options are endless. If your eyes (and stomach) are as big as mine, swing by any of these farms to pick out apples (or other produce) for your favorite fall dish.
Butler’s Orchard: This Germantown farm is a popular destination for the pick-your-own crowd, season-round. Apples are available for $2.09 per pound. Besides apples, you may peruse through pumpkins, raspberries, and flowers. Get your fill of caramel apples and kettle corn at the Pumpkin Festival continuing every weekend until November 3. Admission is $12 and children under 24 months can enter for free. Call ahead to ask about weather before visiting.
22200 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Md. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Great Country Farms: This farm offers Shizuka, Golden Delicious, and Candycrisp apples for $1.99 per pound and pumpkins for $0.59 per pound. If visiting on a weekend, enjoy live music, marshmallow roasting, and an antique cider press demo. Admission to the farm is $8 per child and $10 per adult during the week and $10 and $12, respectively, during the weekend.
18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont, Va. Open every day, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Hartland Orchard: You can find Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Fuji apples for picking at this Virginia farm. Apples are $15 for half a bushel (20-24 pounds). Cider, honey, and apple butter are also available for sale. On weekends, race through a corn maze, enjoy a hay ride, or play disc hockey at their fall festival. Cash and check only.
3064 Hartland Lane, Markham, Va. Open every day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Hollin Farms: If you suffer from apple indecision, this could be the orchard for you. Choose from ten types of apples for $15 per peck (10-12 pounds). Make dinner with potatoes you dug up yourself for a $1 per pound. Get greens like arugula, radishes, kale, and Napa cabbage for $3 per pound.
1436 Snowden Road, Delaplane, Va. Open times vary, check their website for changes.
Homestead Farms: This Poolesville orchard, which has been owned by the Allnutt family since 1763, has SunCrisp, Cortland, Granny Smith, and Fuji apples available to pick. Visitors pay a $2 admission fee and apples are sold at $2.49 per pound. Pumpkins are also available for 65 cents per pound. And if you are visiting on a weekend, enjoy a complimentary hayride.
15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville, Md. Open every day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Larriland Farm: The options are pretty good right now at Larriland, where you can grab Empire, Mutsu, Golden Delicious and Ida Red apples. Make a full salad with the addition of some tomatoes, beets and kale, which are also available.
2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine, Md. Open Tuesday-Thursday 9 p.m.-6 p.m.
Lewis Orchard: The orchard is open on Saturdays and Sundays for visitors to pick their own apples. Half a peck is $13, one peck is $22, and half a bushel is $35. Pumpkins, vegetables, and fresh pies are available to buy.
18901 Peach Tree Road, Dickerson, Md. Open every day, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Marker-Miller Orchards: At this farm, you can find Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Ida Red, Crispin, and Fuji varieties. Guests may also pick Bartlett pears, winter squash, and peppers. And if your sweet tooth is aching, swing by their bakery for a selection of desserts, including always-popular apple cider doughnuts. Before you go, visit their homepage for any changes due to weather.
3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester, Va. Open weekdays 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Stribling Orchard: This six-generation farm has Jonathan, Grimes Golden, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Golden Delicious and Rome apples available, along with an even wider variety of already-picked apples. If that’s not enough to cure your apple fix, there’s also a bakery, where you can buy apple cider, apple cake, apple pie and apple-cinnamon-raisin bread. Apples are $1.50 per pound and $15 per half a bushel. Pie pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins, and large pumpkins are also available for sale.
11587 Poverty Hollow Lane, Markham, Va. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Bakery open on weekends only.
This post has been updated with new hours and locations.