T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Kelly Mason, co-owner of Appleberry Farm, makes a caramel apple on Sunday for a customer.

Despite the difficult weather this year the season is going well for Appleberry Farm and owners Dave and Kelly Mason. The apples even survived the weekend’s frost and harvest fans braved the colder temperatures on Sunday to pick a variety of fruits and pumpkins.

“The weather has been up and down this year,” Kelly said. “We have had more people picking apples but we do not have as many apples so we have less cider.”

The most popular apple this year is the Honeycrisp, she said. Honeycrisp apples are sweet, tart and crisp, making it a good choice for snacking. However, Kelly said that not a lot of Honeycrisp apples were produced this year due to the weather and Appleberry Farm ran out of that type of apple two weeks ago.

Another popular apple is the Jonathan, a sweet and crisp choice that can be used for snacking or baking.

“The best apple to bake with is a matter of opinion,” Kelly said. “I like to take in everyone’s opinion and combine apples together and one of the best apples to throw into a combo is the Jonathan.”

New to the orchard this year is the Apple Wagon – a food truck offering the donuts and other fare such as pickles and cheese curds.

“We wanted to make apple cider mini donuts,” Kelly said. “We have it set up here and we take the food trailer to farmers markets during apple season.”

The caramel apples and apple cider that bring people to Appleberry Farm cannot be obtained at the Apple Wagon, but rather inside the store. When Kelly is not serving customers at the cash register, chances are she is in the kitchen preparing a newly-ordered caramel apple.

Besides the apples people are buying in baskets and the pumpkins children are walking out with, Appleberry Farm customers can also get squashes, tomatoes and for the very adventurous — Carolina reaper peppers, which the Guinness World Records declared as the hottest pepper.

Kelly also hopes to bring some other flavors to Appleberry Farm within the next two or three years. Planted and standing by are pear, cherry and peach trees.

“I love peaches and making jams and jellies,” she said.

If customers do not want to wait two or three years for peaches, cherries or pears, they can get their Appleberry Farm fix by ordering apple pies for Thanksgiving and treat bags for Christmas.

The Masons are turning the orchard into a year-round business by offering coffee, treats and cider beyond the apple season.

“We want people to come every so often and enjoy themselves,” Kelly said. “This is a family place and we don’t want to be forgotten until next apple season.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream at

(641) 753-6611 ext. 255

or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com