Apple U-Pick Orchards in Boise and Southwestern Idaho in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!
Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.
Ada County
- Cabalo's Orchard and Gardens - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blackberries, pumpkins, Turkeys (organic, not-hormone-fed), Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, porta-potties are available, school tours
2087 W. King Rd, Kuna, ID 83634. Phone: 208 922-3301. Email: cabalosorchard@gmail.com. Open: Friday and Saturday 9 am to 6:00 Sunday 12 am to 6:00. Directions: From Falcon Crest Charter School on Ten Mile Road Go south one mile to King Road Then right on King Road one tenth of a mile, first farm on left. Sign Posted. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
Cabalo's Orchard and Gardens Facebook page. . . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Cabalo's Orchard is a family run orchard owned and operated by Chan and Cathy Cabalo, with help from our children, grandchildren and other family and friends. On our ten acres we raise pesticide free tree fruit and vegetables. Our fruit is tree ripened so you get it when it is at its best. AND YES we are conventional pesticide free, that is, we use only natural farming practices of fertilization and insect control. We are a seasonal business that opens when the produce is ready in the late spring or early summer and continues throughout the end of our Pumpkin Patch in October. We are open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or anytime by appointment. Many of our customers like to u-pick. We offer a limited selection of our produce for u-pick. At this time we offer blackberries, apples and pumpkins. We also have freshly picked peaches, pears, plums, prunes, apricots, sweet cherries and some summer vegetables that are pre-picked and available at our farm stand during their appropriate seasons. We also offer apple wood for your smokers. For a more detailed listing check out our web site or become a fan on our Facebook page. Our produce is all naturally grown without the use of conventional pesticides. (UPDATED: May 24, 2016, JBS)
Canyon County
- Cherry Hill Farms - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, beans, pie or tart cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, hot peppers, sweet peppers, carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, summer squash, paste or Roma tomatoes, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other vegetables, sunflowers, zinnias, flowers, herbs or spices, events at your location (call for info)
15228 Chicken Dinner Rd, Caldwell, ID 83605. Phone: (385) 375-7477. Email: chfsocialmedias@gmail.com. Open: From the end of July to the end of October. Directions: Go to the crossroads of Chicken Dinner Road and Apricot Road Follow the signs to the fruit stand. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
Cherry Hill Farms Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. (UPDATED: June 06, 2022) (ADDED: September 12, 2020) - Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard - Apples, plums, fresh apple cider,
S. Johns Avenue, Emmett, ID 83641. Phone: 208-365-6160. Email: scottharrisontyler@gmail.com. Open: 9 am to 6 pm on weekends, week-days open for self serve during daylight hours, usually operate from Mid-June until October 31st, with a few closures in between while waiting for the next crop to ripen. Directions: Located at the very end of S. Johns Ave. South of Hwy 16; a 45 minute scenic drive from downtown Boise; see their website for directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard Facebook page. . A family operated orchard nestled at the base of Rocky Point in Emmett Idaho. They offer already picked as well as pick your own fruit and can accommodate groups of all sizes, Call ahead if your group is large or school affiliated. (UPDATED: May 27, 2020 JBS)
Gem County
- Anderson Apple Ranch - apples, porta-potties are available, school tours
1877 West South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: 208-695-9741. Email: applelady@clearwire.net. Open: late September through late October; Check back for exact dates Open for business Monday - Saturday, CLOSED Sunday Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 4pm to 7pm Thursday: By appointment only Friday: 10am to 7pm Saturday 10am to 7pm. Directions: Set your GPS to 1877 W. South Slope Road. Take highway 16 to Emmett. Pass Albertsons, Washington Avenue (into the heart of Emmett) and Emmett High School. Turn left (south) onto Mill Road and drive as far as the pavement takes you.ﾠ Turn right (west)onto South Slope Road for almost 1 mile. You will see all the orchards. As the road bends, take a left onto a dirt lane. Anderson Apple Ranch is the second orchard from the road on the left. Watch for our signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
Anderson Apple Ranch Facebook page. . Credit/debit cards not accepted, Sorry. - Candy Apple Orchard - apples
1871 W. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 365-1413. Open: permanently closed. Click here for a map and directions. . October 1-31, Sunday, Monday, Thursday, & Friday (Closed Saturday); hours: 8 am until dusk. Apple varieties: Rome Beauties, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Cherry Stone - Closed1411 W. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. UPDATE for 2021: They are Cherrystone Orchard has been divided and cut down as of summer 2021 - How 'Bout Them Apples! - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, Apples, porta-potties are available, picnic area, school tours
1113 W. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: 208-398-8448. Email: bselliottbs@gmail.com. Open: Sorry everyone, apparently Mother Nature gave our apples the year off and we have literally none to share this season; We look forward to seeing you next year!. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque. . Please see our website. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Golden Delicious and Red Delicious Apples!! U - Pick $;50 lb; Bring boxes but not ladders; Please see our website for more information; See you soon!. - Jackson Orchards - apples
1879 W. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 398-8231. Click here for a map and directions. . Apple varieties: Rome, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious). - Perin Orchard - apples
1881 W. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 365-0648. Click here for a map and directions. . Apple varieties: Red spur. - Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard - Blueberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, apples (Red and Golden Delicious).
145 E. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 365-6160. Email: scottharrisontyler@gmail.com. Open: Mid June- October 31, every day from 9 am to 1 pm, then again from 6 pm to 8 pm. Click here for a map and directions. . . In June and early July, we have Apricots, Pluots and lots of Cherries avaiable to pick. Peaches come next, Apples in the Fall. Please bring a ladder if you have one. We are closed on July 4th. 2018 prices are Cherries $2lb, Apricots and Pluots $1.50lb. (UPDATED: July 17, 2018, JBS) - Williams Fruit Ranch - apples, cherries, peaches, plums, prunes, U-pick and already picked
2455 W South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 365-7757. Email: williamsfruitranch@gmail.com. Open: Mid - June to October 30th; on Monday to Saturday 9am to 6 pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm; Depending when fruit is ripe. Directions: Turn off highway 52 onto Mill Road take a right onto West South Slope Road. Go 1.5 miles down South Slope Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Venmo, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
Williams Fruit Ranch Facebook page. . . We offer Cherries, Peaches Plums Prunes and Apples, all available for u-pick during their season. In addition we also provide selected fruit in the stand for sale. We participate in the Emmett Farmers Market (ADDED: July 09, 2021)
Owyhee County
- Apple Farm in Homedale - An assortment of apples available
, Homedale, ID . Phone: 208-250-8982. Open: Call for for hours and availability. Click here for a map of the area. Payment: Cash, only. .htm">Apple Farm in Homedale. Alternate phone: 208-337-4826. For $5 per bushel in 2011.,
Comments from a visitor on September 25, 2011: "I found this on Boise Craig's list and I'm going there myself on October 3."
Washington County
- Kelley Orchards - apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked
53 Hill Road, Weiser, ID 83672. Phone: 208-642-7265. Email: kelleyorchards@gmail.com. Open: August, September, October Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Directions: Travelling on highway 95 between Payette and Weiser, turn east on Cox Road (between mile markers 74 and 75). Take Cox road one mile to the end, turn left on Hill Road. Go 1/4 mile, turn left at 53 Hill Road. Go down drive to Red Barn. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Pie cherries: early July; Peaches, Plums, Nectarines: August through September; Apples: September through December. Pie Cherries - u-pick and picked - are available in July. Find our own dried apples, plums, pluots, nectarines, pears and peaches at our Barn Store.
Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first. Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches. If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe
- Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
- Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
- For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
-
Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life. A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too. A refrigerator is fine for small
quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot
where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning
it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in
a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and
potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age,
potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster.
If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine.
Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home - Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!
Which apple variety is best?
There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:
- Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
- Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
- Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
- Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
- Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?
Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions
- How to make applesauce
- How to make apple butter
- How to make apple jelly
- How to make apple pie filling (canned)
- How to can apples
- Home canned apple juice
Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions
- Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
- How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
- Apple cobbler
- Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
- Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
- Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
- Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)
Using fresh apples and miscellaneous
- How to stop cut apples from browning
- Apple festivals - find one near you!
- Apple facts
- Apple seeds and cyanide