This past Saturday we embarked upon our annual pumpkin gathering journey, a tradition handed down to us by our parents and one we’ve continued with for the last fifteen years. In today’s helter-skelter rat race, acquiring a Halloween pumpkin from Wal-mart is probably the norm for the majority of people. For us, choosing a pumpkin from a cider mill goes hand-in-hand with the season and easily trumps the sterile atmosphere of modern retail.
While numerous in the northern reaches of the country, cider mills aren’t as plentiful here in Kentucky. Boyd Orchards in Versailles has by far the best Kentucky cider we’ve tasted, though it can’t hold a candle to Spicer’s – our old haunt in Michigan. On a side-note for those non-Kentuckians who visit our blog, locals pronounce Versailles not like the city in France, but like ver-SALES. Weird, I know, but not unusual. The small berg of Athens south of Lexington is pronounced with a long A, unlike the short A of the Greek city. But I digress….
Boyd Orchards, Versailles
So after buying a couple of sets of scrubs for Cheryl and finishing up some mundane errands, we took the scenic drive to Boyd’s for some cider drinkin’ and pumpkin pickin’. It was a beautiful, cloudless day but a little bit of the seasonal experience was lost thanks to the 81-degree temperature. I know, why am I complaining about warm weather in mid-October? I’m not really complaining, I’m just sayin’…
The Pumpkin Patch
Besides having the best Kentucky cider we’ve had (so far), Boyd’s has a massive selection of fresh apples as well as the usual hay rides, caramel apples, and other harvest-time goodies one expects from a cider mill. They really do have a first-class operation and their prices are very reasonable for farm fresh products. Since we’re obviously not the only ones who know about the place, people were there in droves. The more the merrier, right?
Cheryl and her pick
Brendan grabbed a wagon and we set off down the hill toward the “u pick” pumpkin patch. Unlike the patches at Spicer’s, where you do actually pick the pumpkins from the fields they’re grown in, these patches contain strategically placed specimens picked from other parts of the property. Yeah, it takes away some of the glamor but it’s as close as we can get until we perfect our own crop. Even still, we managed to come away with some nice choices that will make fine jack-o-lanterns.
The Great Pumpkin?
Stay tuned for the finished products….
