Fresh from our farmers: Lots of apples despite difficult year

Everyone wants Sonoma County apples, or so it seems when you consider the farmers markets many of our apple growers attend. Stan DeVoto of DeVoto Gardens, for example, sells at markets in Napa, St. Helena, San Rafael, San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza and Walnut Creek. If you live in Sonoma County and want DeVoto apples you have one option, Whole Foods in Sebastopol.

Sonoma County - specifically, west county - is considered one of the best places in the world for growing apples. Our apples are said to be more flavorful and juicier than other apples and, when it comes to variety, it’s hard to beat us. More than a hundred varieties thrive here, with more varieties of heirloom apples showing up all the time, as farms plant them not just for eating but for the blossoming cider industry.

It has been a difficult season for apples, with problems stretching back nearly a year. Some farmers credit the ongoing drought and others credit the warm winter; both have had a negative impact on the crop.

“Depending on the variety, apples need from 600 to 1,000 hours of winter chill,” DeVoto explained earlier this week, “and we only had three or four frosts. It wasn’t enough.”

Bloom was not typical. First came early blossoms, about three weeks sooner than expected. Things slowed down and then there was a second bloom, about four weeks later than usual.

This has resulted in a lower yield and unpredictable, sporadic ripening, which requires more care in the orchard, as pickers attempt to select only ripe fruit.

Most apple farmers report smaller than normal crops, though the exact percentage is still a mystery, as harvest will continue for at least another month. DeVoto, which has about 100 varieties in the ground, is currently harvesting between 50 and 60 varieties.

• Hale’s Apple Farm and Pumpkin Patch (1526 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol), with a history that stretches back to 1883, is harvesting several varieties, Star King, Sleeping Beauty, Winesap, New Town Pippin and Jonagold among them.

• Walker Ranch (10955 Upp Road, Graton), which was founded in 1910, grows 26 varieties, with the first - Gravensteins, of course - appearing in July and the final harvest taking place sometime in November. The farm stand is open daily.

• Bella Ridge, nestled above the fog line on Taylor Lane in Occidental, harvests several dozen varieties, with October providing the biggest selection, which includes Macoun, North Spy, Cameo, Belle de Boskop, Baldwin and several others.

If you’re looking for Arkansas Black, Hauer Pipin, Pink Lady and other November-ripening varieties, it shouldn’t be long now, as by all accounts, every variety is ripening a bit earlier than typical.

If you’d like to get up close with the trees that bear your apples, Gabriel Farm (3175 Sullivan Road, Sebastopol, gabrielfarm.com) may be the destination for you. They are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and will arrange tours on other days by appointment.

To pick apples yourself, you must be a member of the farm’s CSA program.

For the rest of the year, our farmers markets will offer a wide array of apples. If you don’t have a lot of time to explore the backroad farm stands, this is probably the easiest way to snag the best apples. The other option is via FarmTrails.

All you need to do is visit farmtrails.org, enter “apples” in the search bar and peruse your options.

Should you happen to have more apples than you know what to do with, the Sebastopol Community Apple Press is open for reservations and free pressing (of up to 100 pounds of apples) on weekends through the end of the moth. For information, visit slowfoodrr.org and click on “Reserve Apple Press.”

For profiles of apple farmers from the “Fresh From Our Farmers” archives, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com, where I’ve also posted links to my favorite apple recipes.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 24 books to date, including the new “Good Cook’s” series and “More Than Meatballs”. Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.