08/23/2026
🍎 BEHIND BIG RED: U-Pick Apple Season FAQs 🍎
U-Pick season is right around the corner, and that means some of our most frequently asked apple questions are starting to roll in! So for this edition of Behind Big Red, we’re answering a few of them. 🌳
Q: “Why does your cider taste different every week?”
Because the apples going into it are changing throughout the season!
Different apple varieties ripen at different times, and their timing can shift from year to year depending on things like weather, soil conditions, elevation, rainfall, daytime heat and nighttime temperatures.
Earlier-season apples also tend to have a little more tartness, while apples harvested later have had more time on the tree for their natural sugars to develop. As the blend of apples changes, the flavor of the cider naturally changes too.
That means every batch is a little snapshot of what our orchard is producing at that particular point in the season. 🍎🍏
Q: “Why does another local orchard have a variety that Big Red doesn’t have yet… or vice versa?”
Even orchards just a few miles apart can have different growing conditions.
Elevation, sun exposure, soil type, drainage, frost pockets, tree age and variety can all affect when fruit ripens. One orchard may have a certain apple ready while that same variety at another orchard still needs more time on the tree.
There really isn’t one universal harvest date for an apple variety, just a guestimate. Mother Nature has a pretty big say in the schedule! 😂🙌
Q: “When will _____ apple variety be ready this year?”
We wish we could give an exact date months ahead of time, but the most accurate answer is: when the apples tell us they’re ready. 😉
This season in particular, our early frost, summer weather and nighttime temperatures have all played a role in how the crop is developing. We continually check the fruit for maturity, flavor, sugar development, color and overall quality before opening a variety for U-Pick.
We would much rather let an apple stay on the tree a little longer than pick it before it has reached the flavor it should have.
🍎 FUN CIDER FACT:
All of our Big Red cider is heat pasteurized, reaching approximately 160–165°F for 15 seconds before being rapidly cooled. This process helps eliminate harmful bacteria while still allowing us to produce that fresh orchard cider everyone waits for each fall. We do not add chemicals or any additives to our cider.
As we head into U-Pick season, keep an eye on our posts! We’ll be sharing which varieties are ready and when they become available.
The apples may run on Mother Nature’s schedule… but we promise to keep you posted. ❤️🍎🌳
