Fall’s Arrival Marks The Best Time To Enjoy Apples

Washington State Produces Half The Apples Consumed In U.S.

The crisp fall air is a pleasant reminder that the season for enjoying apples is upon us.

Sure, mainstream grocers stock apples year-round, but fall is the time to enjoy them at their best. Apple pies, caramel apples and apple strudels all are great dishes to make now, as orchards overflow with any variety of apple you could want and friendly farmers encourage visits to their you-pick-it operations. No doubt many of you have old pictures of fun orchard outings with the family. Don’t let those images perish; transferring a photo to digital format is a great way to relive such wonderful memories.

In America, Washington is the top-producing state for apple crops, responsible for half the apples we eat and drink in this country. The state is home to both small, family-run farms and mammoth corporations. The apple itself first made an appearance there in 1826, when it arrived via a ship. Orchards began springing up later that century. Apple orchards such as the one pictured now fill the state. The apples are shipped all over the country and even find overseas to dozens of other nations.

Many of Washington’s lush orchards surround the Cascade Mountains. In the early years, deformed or blemished apples were simply tossed into the Columbia River. Then, in 1916, George F. Miller came up with a new business model: He bought the unwanted apples from farmers and sold them to companies that juiced and canned apples. (Miller eventually started his own processing company in Wenatchee.)

Pictures from these early years would be worthy great souvenirs for today’s apple farmers and processors. Scanning a photo to digital allows it be shared online and with people all around the world. Washington’s tourism industry, after all, isn’t just based on salmon and wine; apples play a significant role, too. Viewing such history will make you want to visit the state and taste a true Washington apple in the fall.