I couldn't resist this spray of leaves on the wet pavement.
I have had dreams of apple chutney for presents so when Kristina asked about apple-picking I wanted to know too. I thought first of Mundraub, because this database of neglected fruit trees is everybody's darling. And when we went to Brodowin a couple of years ago there were apples everywhere, neglected on the low boughs. (You can take the regional train to Chorin and see what you find in the woods behind the ruined chapel.)
Brandenburg is apple country and there are plenty of pick-your-own farms, but after speaking to several I realized it's a bit late for apples, particularly in a year when the harvest hasn't been the best. Still, the Obsthof Deutscher in Werder has Gala, Elstar, Boskoop and Jonasgold apples to pick through Sunday, October 24th. I might turn, instead, to the chicken man at the market who always has the tastiest apples alongside his bargain organic eggs.
Otherwise, here are a few places to bookmark for next year. Do you have a favorite to add?
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Neumanns Erntegarten, Heineberg 2, Potsdam-Bornim (map)
Tel. 0331 501651 or 0170 8368646
Obstgut Marquardt, Potsdam-Satzkorn (map)
Tel. 033208 57718
Obsthof Lindicke, Am Plessower Eck 1, Werder (map)
Tel. 03327/45624
SL Gartenbau, Perwenitzer Chaussee 2, Oberkrämer-Vehlefanz (map)
Tel. 03304/39940
Obstbau Zaspel, Helenenauer Weg 2, Blumberg-Elisenau (map)
Tel. 03338/45524 o. 0172/4149186
Obstgut Müller, Dorfstr. 1, Altlandsberg-Wesendahl (map)
Tel. 03341/ 215856
I haven't been apple picking in Brandenburg but you've made me keen to try. Thanks so much for the addresses. Love the colours and composition of your photo by the way. Can't wait for Thursday!
Posted by: Vanessa | 19 October 2010 at 02:16 PM
lovely spray! in my area of connecticut we will have apples through october (usually) although the colder weather leads to smaller apples. this year i used cortland for applesauce & my dtr. is to pick me up some pounds of ida red for winter canning. what apples are native to germany?
Posted by: jonquil | 19 October 2010 at 04:06 PM
Vanessa, I'm kicking myself for not having got my act together when the trees were still laden with fruit. Yes, I'm looking forward to tomorrow too!
Jonquil, the names are totally different, and since I only really learned to cook in Berlin I always have to research names like Cortland and Ida Red. Some of my favorite easy-to-find apples here for cooking and eating are Elstars and Holsteiner Cox. Pinovas & Gravensteiners are very pretty too.
Posted by: Berlin Reified | 20 October 2010 at 11:29 AM
it fascinates me that from a wild cultivar that didn't taste like much, so many hundreds of apple varieties have sprung up--even within the same country. for example, cortland & ida red are locally grown in the upper east coast, while granny smith (tart, firm, green-skinned) are west coast/midwest.
Posted by: jonquil | 20 October 2010 at 03:02 PM
Can't wait till next year to try out the orchards you listed above. Where do you usually buy your produce? I just discovered and subscribed to the Märkische Kiste (https://www.maerkischekiste.de/). You can order regional produce that is delivered once a week to your door! Otherwise, my favorite places to buy vegetables and fruit are the Boxhagener and Winterfeld markets.
Posted by: Laura | 20 October 2010 at 10:49 PM
Upon arriving home, I was surprised to find that the bottle and spray were much smaller than I expected. But real life is sometimes like that.
Posted by: David | 23 October 2010 at 09:12 PM
Oh, I loved reading everyone's comments.
Laura, I usually go to the nearby markets or Kiepert & Kutzner but I have a few friends who swear by the Märkische Kiste. As you say, they seem to place a real emphasis on products from the region, which I like. I was at the Boxhagener Platz market a month or so ago and swore I would go more often -- such a lot to savor!
David, yes.
Posted by: Berlin Reified | 24 October 2010 at 01:43 PM
hi sylee, thank you so much! seems like i had this idea too late this year, but i'll know where to turn to next year.
now: safe travels!
Posted by: Kristina - no penny for them & mostly berlin | 26 October 2010 at 09:14 AM
Kristina, we'll have to catch the pick-your-own early next year and make a field trip out to the orchards. I missed it too!
Posted by: Berlin Reified | 31 October 2010 at 08:41 PM