at wasem, we grow montmorency cherries—the world’s best variety of pie cherry. our cherries typically get ready around july 4. the season is short, usually lasting just two or three weeks. tart cherries are excellent for pies, jams, jellies, and a variety of delicious desserts. they can also be added to main dishes to add more flavor. if you have a taste for sour fruits, you may also enjoy them as is, sprinkled with sugar, or on top of ice cream
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Black & Red Currants
during our tart cherry season, which typically begins around july 4 and lasts 2-3 weeks, we also have both black and red currants available to pick. currants are a very small tart fruit (slightly smaller than a blueberry). although rarely eaten before cooking or adding sugar, currants are excellent for jams and jellies. black currants, in particular, are popular among people from eastern european countries
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Gooseberries
gooseberries are a small green tart berry (about the size of a grape) that grows on a bush. if left on the bush long enough, they turn pink. our gooseberries ripen at the same time as our tart cherries and are available to pick during the month of july. typically the season lasts just a short time, so don’t miss out. gooseberries are typically used for baking
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Peaches
all peaches grown at wasem are freestone peaches—meaning the flesh is easily removed from the pit. they typically start ripening around august 10 beginning with red haven peaches and continuing with peaches which are very similar to red haven and just as tasty. our season continues through approximately labor day. although we do not have peaches available for u-pick, we do take them to the ann arbor farmers' market
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Pears
we grow three varieties of pears—bartlett, spartlett, and bosc. bartlett and spartlett pears are fairly similar, although spartlett are slightly larger and firmer than bartlett pears. bosc pears ripen later in the season and are more crunchy
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Plums
we grow two different varieties of plums—vision plums and stanley plums. both plums are good for eating as is, for pies, desserts, jams, jelly, canning and bread. we usually have plums when we open for our fall picking season, but the season is much shorter than for apples
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Raspberries
we have a limited number of fall red raspberries during the month of september and early october for pick your own. we also take some to the ann arbor farmers' market
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Apples
Early Gold
an august ripening apple that is firmer than a lodi. it is a firm, yellow-green apple that gets sweeter and softer a couple of weeks after picking
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Crab Apples
real small apples that ripen in august that are used mainly for jelly
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Prime Red
an august ripening apple that is similar to jonathon in appearance and taste
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Paula Red
a late summer apple that has a solid red blush color. this all-purpose apple is slightly tart. after being picked for a month, it becomes quite soft
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Gala
a relatively new variety that originated in new zealand and is a cross between a kidds orange and a golden delicious. it is a firm apple with an excellent sweet flavor, and has become a favorite for eating. although it is not recommended that you use this apple for cooking, it may be used in salads
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Prime Gold
this apple was developed to resemble the washington state golden delicious. it has a smooth skin, and it does not have the rust that michigan golden delicious apples have. its color is yellow-green, and it develops a pink blush if left on the trees long enough. it is excellent for eating, baking, or apple juice. when used for baking, less sugar will be needed
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Mcintosh
an excellent semi-tart eating apple that is an old favorite. mcintosh apples cook quickly and make excellent applesauce or a flavorful soft apple pie. unlike jonathans and ida red, mcintosh does not hold its shape when used for cooking
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Cortland
an excellent early tart baking and eating apple that is a cross between a mcintosh and a ben davis. it is a very “natural' looking apple with a ground color of pale yellow completely flushed with a deep red or crimson color. cortland apples bake more firm than mcintosh apples
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Empire
a firm and crispy apple with a sweet-tart flavor. it is a cross between a mcintosh and a red delicious and is excellent for salads, baking, and cooking. it cooks firmer than a mcintosh but not as firm as an ida red or rome
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Jonathan
an excellent semi-tart apple that is a brilliant red speckled with gold and green. it is one of the more popular cooking and baking apples and holds its shape well in pies and baked apples. it can also be used for applesauce but will be a little chunky unless put through a food mill
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Red Delicious
this is the most popular and widely available apple. it is a sweet and crispy apple that is bright crimson in color. although the red delicious is excellent for eating and salads, it is not a good apple to bake with
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Golden Delicious
a sweet juicy apple that is good for eating as well as baking. it is yellow in color and stays white longer than many apples when sliced. when used for baking, we recommend cutting down the amount of sugar that the recipe calls for
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Rome
a very firm, semi-tart eating and baking apple. it is red in color. when used in pies and baked apples, it holds its shape well
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Ida Red
a very tart and firm apple that is a cross between the jonathan and wagner apple. it is a little larger and a little more tart than a jonathan. it is excellent for pies, baked apples, and chunky applesauce and is one of the more popular baking apples
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Northern Spy
an old favorite for apple pies. it is tart as well as firm. although it can be used for eating, it is known more for being a “pie” apple
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Russett
a very, very hard russetted eating apple. it is not recommended for baking
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Granny Smith
this apple originated in australia but is now grown in the united states as well. it has a green grass color with a reddish blush when grown in a cool climate like michigan. it is a late ripening eating and baking apple that is very tart and crisp. it does not hold its shape like an ida red when baked. applesauce made from grannies look like commercial applesauce (smooth & white), but it is very tart unless sugar is added. it also has an excellent flavor when dried
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Mutsu (crispin)
this is called a japanese golden delicious. although sweet, it is more tart and firm than a golden delicious and is usually a very large apple. it is excellent for eating as well as cooking
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Fuji
a cross of ralls janet and red delicious that originated in japan. it is a firm apple that is known for its long storage capability. it has a firm flesh and a crunchy sweet-tart flavor. fuji apples are good for eating and for salads
