Northside Food: Apple Picking in Elijay, Georgia

Have I mentioned that fall is my favorite season? Well, it is. I think it's living in north Georgia that tipped me over the edge into a fall lover, because I don't remember being this excited for September and October before I lived in Roswell. Part of the appeal of fall is all the outdoor activities I can partake in now that summer's sweltering, sticky heat is done. Cool autumnal days feel wonderful after sweating your way through July and August and my allergies don't bother as much as they do during the spring pollen-stravaganza.

One of my favorite fall activities is getting apples in Elijay. You want to hear this story? You definitely want the story. So one year, me and a friend went to the Elijay Apple Festival. If you haven't been, it's next weekend. You should go. It's a fun mountain arts and crafts festival with a fall, apple theme. And you can buy fresh, local apples by the bushel. But bushels are heavy. There are only so many two tiny women can carry on their own. So the next year, we really sold it hard to our husbands and made it sound like the trip of a life time. So we get there and the guys look around and realize the planned activities for the day include looking at apple shaped candles we don't intend to buy and carrying things for us. My husband walked over to the nearest corn dog stand, angrily ate one, and then announced that he had done everything worth doing there and we were getting in the car to go to Oktoberfest in Helen.

But he still carried an extra bushel of apples for me.

Anyways, the next year I wanted to do something fun and fall themed in the mountains again. Jimmy agreed to go apple picking instead of the Apple Festival. And you know what? We both liked it enough we did it again today.

There's several u-pick orchards in Elijay, several of them clustered together on GA 52. We like BJ Reece Apple House, but I think you'll have a good time at any of them. BJ Reece also features a petting zoo, tractor ride and apple cannon in addition to the apple trees. For $14, we were able to wandered the orchard, full of dwarf varieties of various apple varietals (how's THAT for alliteration?) and pick what we wanted off the trees. We bought the full peck bag, which you just fill until you can't cram any more into it. Not the cheapest apples you'll buy, but they are right off the tree and so tasty.

BJ Reece also has a farm store that sells already picked apples, vegetables, local honey and baked goods. The apple fried pies smelled amazing today, but my husband's glucose has been running high lately, so we skipped it.

Do I recommend BJ Reece? Absolutely. They have a great variety and the orchard is big and easy to navigate. I plan to be back next fall to make my husband carry more apples for me.