This past weekend, visitors to Old Sturbridge Village (one of the best places on Earth) were treated to view and help out with the annual apple harvest. Crisp air and the smell of fresh apples added to the old New England charm of the village. The apples were picked from the trees in the old fashioned way with a toothed tin basket attached to a pole. We even got to try our hand at the tedious but strangely relaxing work.
On display and available for tasting were many heirloom apples, types that were widely grown in New England in the 1800's but are very rare today. Most of them I had never heard of. My favorite was the Titus Pippin from 1841. Back then apples were grown mostly for cider because good drinking water was not available. The oxen of Sturbridge Village were busy working in the cider mill while pies were being made in the small cottages.
The tickets at Old Sturbridge Village are good for 10 days, so of course I will be going back for some more photos. Stay tuned!