By Sarah Bogues
What’s better than spending an afternoon picking apples, munching on apple cider donuts and choosing the “perfect” pumpkin during this autumn season? Well, at Lyman Orchards, a visitor can do all that plus so much more.
Nestled away a little under 18 miles from CCSU lies the infamous, busy Lyman Orchards between routes 147 and 157 in Middlefield CT, offering anything from baked goods and fall decorations to deli meat, fruit, and produce.
There are two main entrances to the Apple Barrel Market, one off Lyman Road and the other off Reeds Gap Road, yet both bring visitors to the same place: delicious, yummy food.
Upon entering the Apple Barrel market, a visitor will immediately observe the sardine-packed room with people galore either shopping or in line for baked goods, lunch, or checkout. Then the visitor will notice the many varieties of produce and fruit: apples, pears, nectarines, plums, green peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are a mere sample of what Lyman Orchards offers.
An assortment of pies (blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, apple crumb, apple, and pumpkin), cookies (oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, and chocolate chip), breads (caramel apple and banana nut), jams and maple butter attract the eye, once getting the past the “healthy” stuff. A line stands alongside the front of two cases filled with the infamous sugared apple cider donuts, cupcakes, brownies, apple fritters, apple turnovers, and many more varieties of scrumptious baked goods. Baked goods range from about $1.50 to $3.00 with pies and packages of cookies going for $4.79. Eggs, milk, juices, cheese, sausage, and of course pints, half gallons, and gallons of fresh apple cider are also available in the market area.
If interested in eating lunch, one can order off the menu and can get either a salad or a ham, turkey, and roast beef sandwich for $6.25; a specialty salad or sandwich for $7.25.
If a visitor didn’t think the Apple Barrel market doesn’t have enough food then they have another thing coming. Outside of the market, servers serve hot apple crisp for $4 and hot apple cider for $2 along with hamburgers, hotdogs, drinks, and other snack foods at a stand nearby. Even though there are lines after lines for just about everything at Lyman Orchards, the line for kettle corn is by far the longest. After waiting in line for at least 20 minutes and paying up to either $4 for a small, $7 for a medium, or $9 for a large, you finally get the warm, yummy kettle corn; definitely worth the wait.
Picking your own apples is just a short drive from the Apple Barrel market and costs only $1.29/pound. Macoun and Empire apples are available at this time and are both excellent for eating, baking, and snacking on. Pumpkins and mums are available for picking as well back at the Apple Barrel Market.
In one visit, a visitor can get lunch, pick some apples, get some apple cider donuts and a small kettle corn all for under $20. Good deal? Definitely.
Lyman Orchards Apple Barrel market is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the months of September and October, and everyday from 9 am to 6 pm the remainder of the year. The orchard is always having new and exciting events related to each season, so stop by and see what new things Lyman Orchards has to offer by hitting up their website, lymanorchards.com.
