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  • Home
  • Visit the Farm
    • Pick-Your-Own Apples
    • Schools & Groups >
      • Elementary or Daycare
      • Secondary or Post-Secondary
      • Team or Customer Appreciation
    • Farm Map
    • Nearby Attractions
  • Shop
    • Shop Online
    • Farm Store
    • Apple Varieties
    • Recipes
  • Our Story
    • Blog
    • Contact
    • Your Reviews

Apple Bloggin'

10 Things to do with Apple Cider Syrup!

6/11/2017

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Apple Cider Syrup is a colonial recipe popular in New England.  Like maple syrup, it is made by boiling down a sweet natural nectar (in this case, pure apple cider) until it thickens to syrup consistency that can be preserved and enjoyed for many months.  Unlike mellow maple syrup though, Apple Cider Syrup is an elixer with the concentrated tangy rich flavour of apples  has an unexpected tangy. Once a kitchen staple, Apple Cider Syrup has regained popularity with gourmet cooks and foodies alike.  Brace yourself for a unique culinary experience!

Curious about the background?

I'm not sure how or where I first came across the concept of Apple Cider Syrup. To be honest, I have never tasted or even seen it anywhere else!  As a fan of traditional slow cooking, I have always been fascinated by the creative ways cooks and colonists used to preserve and enjoy bounty from their fields, pastures and gardens. Some focused internet research has helped provide insight and history into this fascinating product.  

10 things you can do with Apple Cider Syrup

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  1. Use as a sweetener in recipes in place of sugar, honey, or maple syrup...everything from baking to salad dressings and marinades
  2. Stir into oatmeal or plain yoghurt
  3. Drizzle over pancakes or waffles (use just a little!)
  4. Glaze meats like poultry and salmon. For ham and pork, mix with equal parts of whole grain mustard. 
  5. When you can't get fresh apples, toss a tablespoon or two with the sliced apples for a pie or apple crisp for a fresh apple-y taste
  6. Whisk into cream cheese icing to add flavour and colour
  7. Spoon over vanilla ice cream
  8. Pour a tablespoon over ice, fill the rest of the glass with seltzer water, and stir. Voila! Healthy apple cider soda!
  9. Make “instant” hot cider: stir 1-3 tablespoons into boiling water (add a little rum or brandy to make a hot toddy!)
  10. Stir into your favourite hot tea to sweeten and brighten the flavour

Did I say 10? The list keeps growing!

  1. Add a teaspoon to add colour and brightness to a meat gravy
  2. Mix with icing sugar to glaze cakes and tarts
  3. Add to your favourite brines for meat and poultry
  4. Use as a glaze for winter vegetables like carrots, squash and parsnips
Buy Apple cider syrup now!
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Your BFF (Bee-Friendly Farm)

5/1/2016

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Bee savvy

Like other apple growers, we understand the the importance of bees and other pollinators to successful fruit production. Did you know:
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  • ​For most apple varieties to produce fruit, the pollen from flowers on one apple tree must be transferred to flowers on another tree? (called 'cross-pollination')
  • It takes 8 to 24 pollinator visits to a single apple blossom just to produce 2-3 nice apples?
  • Most of the pollen exchange done by honeybees happens when they rub against each other in the hive and then go back to the orchard to gather pollen and nectar from other trees in the orchard​

Show & Tell

​To help educate our customers about the important relationship between honeybees and apple-growing, we invited local  beekeepers from Bee-Happy Honey to talk about pollination in this video about apple blossom time on our farm.

This video helps us 'show and tell' our farm visitors about the the importance of honeybees to sustainable apple farming, but for us it's more than just talk....

10 ways we protect and foster bees

​​We use responsible and ecological farming practices that blend organic and conventional methods, including these bee-friendly practices:
  1. Managing our orchard to proactively minimize and mitigate pest and disease issues, eg: pruning, mowing, thinning
  2. Using a minimal spray program using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as recommended by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
  3. Investing in modern sprayer equipment including low-drift spray towers to direct the spray horizontally into the apple trees providing better coverage and reducing the amount of product applied 
  4. Monitoring pest levels using special insect traps and lures to determine when and how to use control methods
  5. Combining organic and synthetic products, selecting those with lowest impact to the environment, beneficial insects and pollinators.  We do not use any products containing neonicotinoids
  6. Building relationships with local beekeepers and notifying them in advance of spraying insecticides so they can take precautions with their hives
  7. Never spraying any insecticides during blossom time
  8. Spraying only during low-wind conditions, generally early in the morning between 5:30 - 7:30 am before bees and other pollinators get active
  9. Mowing the grass under the apple trees to avoid the use of herbicides in our Pick-Your-Own area and provide food for bees and beneficial insects
  10. Farm-scaping to encourage ample forage and natural water sources for bees and other pollinators like building farm ponds and leaving meadows and hedgerows around the orchard with ground covers, wildflowers and plantings.

Plus a new Bee-Garden!


A couple of years ago, we added a new feature in our orchard - a 'Bee Garden'.  It's nestled in the sunny hillside overlooking our orchard and we've planted and sown pollinator-friendly flowers that provide nector and pollen for bees after our apple blossoms are done.  These include  perennials like Chives, Mint and Phlox, and  annuals like Cosmos, Zinnias, Marigolds, Coneflowers and Black-eyed Susans.
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Visit Us this Fall!
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A thousand cuts - Apple orchard pruning!

4/11/2016

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These days, we have been focusing on dormant pruning, taking advantage of every possible day the weather permits.  Pruning is an important part of orchard maintenance to maintain the structure, health and productivity of the trees. 

A labour of a thousand cuts


​You may have heard the expression 'death of a thousand cuts' - an idiom describing a situation in which lots of small bad things add up to a slow and painful demise. Ironically, the thousands of cuts made when pruning an apple orchard serve quite the opposite - they collectively help rejuvenate the trees!  But the work is not easy! Even with air-powered pruning equipment...it takes time and persistance.

And then there's the clean-up...

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​That sprawling heap of branches is a by-product of our annual dormant pruning efforts! We pick up the cuttings under the trees as pruning progresses, pile them onto a wagon and haul them over to the brush pile.  

In fact, the brush pile in this photo is showing only some of the cuttings from one year's pruning effort...the dark circle of ashes in front left was from approved open-air burnings we did on days that were windstill and damp. Of course, we notify the local fire department each time so they can authorize the burn! It's all about responsible farming stewardship.

The budding promise

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And there they are! Still-dormant fruit buds waiting for the spring sun and warmth to coax them into developing lovely fragrant apple blossoms!  With good weather, proper pollination and further protection from pests and disease, they will grow into beautiful apples.  

There's lots more orchard work to come during the rest of the growing season till we get there...Be sure to come back and see us during the fall harvest to see how these little buds came along!

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Know your farmer!

4/12/2015

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Chalkboard sign saying organic, traditional, wholesome, simple, real food, healthy, unprocessed, nourishing
Buying from a small local farm helps you connect with your food and the farmer growing it. 


We sell all our apples straight from our farm to consumers either through our Pick-Your-Own or at our farm store, so we have lots of conversations with our customers about how our crop is doing and how we care for the orchard and our apples. 

About our orchard

A row of the last 6 old standard McIntosh trees in Waddell Apples orchard Kingston
Our main orchard on 5 acres is made up of 1100 mature trees and 200 young trees we planted to replace ones that are no longer healthy and productive.  Our trees are semi-standard, semi-dwarf and dwarf types that grow 5 to 15 feet tall. We prune them annually to maintain their structure, health and productivity, paying special attention to encourage apples within easy reach for pick-your-own visitors of all ages including kids.  Larger commercial apple orchards have moved to densely-planted spindle trees grown along trellis and wires for maximum efficiency and production.  We have stayed with traditional free-standing trees to provide a more traditional orchard setting and fun pick-your-own experience. 

In 2009, we purchased more farmland to increase our capacity. After improving the land with drainage, clearing and tillage, we started planting young trees and our new orchard is now up to 900 trees, some of which are now starting to produce apples.

Do you spray? Are you organic? 

...Sounds like the same question, right?? Wrong!!  In fact, organic and conventional farming practices are converging to maximize food production and social good while minimizing negative impacts to the environment and the consumer.  Read on to learn more... 

A lot has changed...

A hand with finger extended ready to pick an apple from the tree
In response to concerns about environmental impacts and concerns about pesticide use, conventional farming methods have changed a lot over the past 20 to 30 years.  An example of this is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Like organic farming, IPM strives to work with natural controls as much as possible, using pesticides only when other control methods aren't effective. Although many consumers believe that organically-grown produce has not been sprayed, the real difference is that organic growers use only naturally-derived pesticides and chemicals while conventional farming includes synthetic products. With IPM adoption many conventional farmers are using less pesticide and a 2008 survey conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture found that pesticide application dropped by 45 percent since 1983.

Our approach to sustainable farming

We use a blend of organic and conventional methods:
  • A minimal spray program using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as recommended by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
  • Combining organic and synthetic products, selecting those with lowest impact to the environment and beneficial insects
  • Managing our orchard to proactively minimize and mitigate pest and disease issues, eg: pruning, mowing, thinning
  • Monitor pest levels using special insect traps and lures for determining when and how to use control methods
  • Mowing the grass under the trees to avoid the use of herbicides in the Pick-Your-Own area and provide food for bees and beneficial insects
  • When planting replacement trees, choosing varieties that are more disease resistant (eg, MacFree, Liberty, Priscilla) to reduce the need for spraying
  • Enhancing our farm's beneficial management practices, including several projects via the Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan like planting spruce trees as shelterbelt, constructing two farm ponds for water management and irrigation, and investing in low-drift spray towers to help protect the environment
  • Farm-scaping to encourage natural habitat for wildlife and biodiversity, eg: Milkweed for monarch butterflies, clover for bees, ponds and wetlands for birds, frogs and insects

Come see for yourself!

A young girl picking an apple from the tree in our orchard
Over the years, we have welcomed thousands of families, couples and groups visiting our farm from the Kingston area as well as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. 

We work hard to provide a well-maintained orchard, quality fruit and a hands-on apple-picking experience that provides fun and learning for all.   

Our Pick-Your-Own starts early September and runs until about middle of October (while there are still enough apples on the trees!)

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Learn to LOVE Macs Again!

4/4/2015

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Have you been depriving yourself of the great flavour and versatility of McIntosh apples?

You’d be surprised how many of our customers are blown away when they taste a fresh-picked Mac!


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This customer was astonished...

A few years ago, a woman called me from somewhere in Northeastern United States. She had bought some apples from us during a vacation in Ontario and raved about them being most amazing apple she had ever tasted - she just had to call us to find out what unique variety it was. 

Based on her description of the apple and the time of her visit, I was able to tell her that she had bought a bag of our McIntosh apples.  She was absolutely astonished and it took some convincing to help her realize that it was indeed the good old 'Mac' that had blown her away!  

Take a bite from Apple Inc's slogan and "think differently" about this true Ontario apple!

This is not an isolated story.  While many of our existing customers love the Macs, just as many new ones come into our store saying 'I hate Macs'. We just say 'Here try one’ -- the fact is they have never tasted this fabulous apple when it’s fresh-picked.  Once they do, many wonder out loud why the ones they buy in the grocery stores are so disappointing, even when they are sold as ‘new crop’ apples in the fall. 

Learn why the McIntosh apple deserves our love and respect! It traces its roots to a tree found by John McIntosh growing wild in 1811 on his farm in the eastern Ontario hamlet of Dundela, about 70 km southeast of Ottawa.  To this day Canada is known around the world for this great variety of apple.  

So what's a McIntosh?

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It's a bright red apple with contrasting green undertones, a distinctive aroma and an unmistakable tangy flavour.  


During the 20th century, McIntosh was the most popular apple in Eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States. It was also the most extensively used apple for cloning new varieties and is the 'parent' of over one hundred other cultivars. 

Top 3 ways to enjoy a Mac!

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Fresh off the tree for eating! Nothing compares to the great flavour of a fresh-picked Mac!  If you like them really hard and tart, come get some early in September.  For more fully-developed flavour and colour, wait until later in the month when they are sweeter and juicier.
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Use Macs in pies, crisps and other baked apple desserts.  Macs have a hint of tartness blended with a distinctive aromatic flavour that is delicious in baking. Some feel that Macs 'cook down' too much but that's not the case when you get them fresh from the orchard!
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Macs are great for applesauce too! Choose fully-ripe and red Macs to get a beautiful pink colour and maximum nutrition. Just wash and quarter the apples, remove the cores and seeds but leave the skin on.  Place in a large pot and add enough water so you can just see it under the apples.  Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until soft - about 20 minutes.  Cool and make into sauce using a food mill, blender or food processor until smooth.   Taste before deciding whether you need to add sugar or cinnamon - it's usually great just 'as is'!

Mac facts

Here's some more neat facts about the McIntosh apple: 
  • 2011 was the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh apple
  • Every McIntosh tree and apple in the world is a descendant of the original tree
  • Many other varieties stem from the McIntosh - including Melba, Lobo, Cortland, Empire, Spartan and Macoun  - to name a few
  • The McIntosh apple represents approximately 25% of Ontario's total apple production
  • The last-known McIntosh tree grown from cuttings of the original Mac 150 years ago died in 2011, but more cuttings were taken to keep this great lineage going

Drop by our Apple farm this September when the Macs are ready and taste what you've been missing!

SHop!
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What will the ‘T-Rex of Winters’ mean for our Apple orchards?

4/1/2015

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Last September the Old Farmers Almanac predicted another frost bitten winter for Central Canada with editor Jack Burnett featured on CTV news  telling us to brace ourselves for the “T-Rex of winters”...and he was right. So what does it mean for our apple orchards?


To answer that, you need to know some things about what both apple trees and apple farmers do during the winter when apple trees are in the ‘dormant stage’.

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Mother Nature is amazing

As explained by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Mother Nature has an remarkable way to move trees into dormancy and preparing them for extremely cold temperatures. Amazingly, the plant tissue actually moves water from inside its cells into the spaces between the cells.  Why? So that the ice crystals don't damage the cell walls and to allow the cells contents to become denser and actually reduce their freezing point, similar to anti-freeze.  By mid to late January trees have reached their maximum cold hardiness which is normally when we have reached the coldest winter days. 

Late in the dormant season is when we prune our trees to help shape and invigorate the trees for the coming growing season. We use both air-powered pruning equipment and hand shears. However this winter the extreme cold and deep snow delayed our start of winter pruning later than usual -- plus it’s best to delay pruning to early spring when the risk of severe temperature drops has diminished to reduce the risk of winter injury. 

Mother Nature can also be unforgiving

Most apple trees are very tolerant to even extreme cold up to -30C when they are in full dormancy, especially if stays consistently cold and without erratic temperature swings. Remember the winter of 2012? An unseasonably warm winter followed by cold snaps in late spring devastated the apple harvest in most parts of Ontario as well as the northeastern United States.  The Kingston Whig Standard visited us to learn how local apple crops were affected. 

So far this winter, we haven’t had any ‘January thaw’, which is actually a good thing. Still, winter injury or cold damage can can reduce yields, kill the tree immediately, or cause a shorter tree life expectancy by making the tree more susceptible to pests (ie. cankers and borers). This type of damage won’t be visible until the growing season starts.


Munchin' Wildlife

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During the long hard winter deer, rabbits and even field mice (i.e. ‘voles’) are looking for food; nice apple tree bark or tender buds make a tasty treat. In 2014 a high vole population coupled with a cold winter and deep snow resulted in extensive damage in some orchards. These rodents tunneled up around the base of the trees to the top of the snow layer -- which was so deep that it reached higher than the guards around the trees. They nibbled the bark off and sometimes even girdled all the way around the trunk which is an injury that a tree cannot survive.  Last year we caught this emerging problem later in the winter and rushed to put an extra guard on above the first to protect our little trees up as high as possible. In preparation for this winter, we bought even more guards and tried to make sure all of our younger trees were protected.

What's Mother Nature bringing us next?

So what does the Old Farmer’s Almanac tell us to expect for the upcoming spring?
  • Near or slightly below normal temperatures across Canada
  • Precipitation below normal in Quebec, above normal in Ontario, near normal elsewhere

Hope springs eternal

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Hmmm….Well farmers are eternally optimistic so here’s what we’re hoping for as our growing season approaches:

  • A nice steady gradual spring throughout April and May
  • No deep frosts during spring blossom which is normally about mid-May
  • Keep watching our website and we’ll keep you posted how our 2015 apple crop unfolds!

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    Waddell Apples

    Sharing our insights as local apple growers and business owners. Helping folks appreciate and enjoy our farm-fresh experiences, perspectives and products!

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Contact Us

info@waddellapples.com

Tel: 613-546-1690
Cell: 613-540-1690
​
1345 Washburn Road
Kingston, Ontario K0H 2N0
(Hwy 15 & Washburn Rd)

Hours

As a farm business, our products and hours change with the Harvest season:
  • ​Farm Store: Closed for 2020 season
  • ​​PYO: Sold Out for 2020
  • Online Store: Shop 24X7 with curbside pickup by appointment. Our system automatically sets a minimum 24-hour window for us to prepare your order.   

Methods of Payment

  • At our Farm: Cash, Interac, Visa, Mastercard
  • Online: Visa, Mastercard, American Express 

Committed to Farming

Member of Ontario Apple Growers
Member of National Farmers Union Ontario
Foodland Ontario Partner
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