Looking for Apple Orchards and Roadside Stands in Georgia, Including Ellijay in 2024?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.  If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

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Apple Orchards and Roadside Stands in Georgia, Including Ellijay

Most of the orchards and their roadside shops are very close together on Hwy 52 on the east side of Route 5/Rt 76 in East Ellijay. The order below corresponds to the order in which you will encounter the orchards when driving from east to the west. click here for more maps and directions to Ellijay from Atlanta!

 

1. Hillcrest Orchard - apples, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, jumping pillow, trike track, mini-golf, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info)
   9696 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: 706-273-3838. Alternate Phone: 706-273-9494. Fax: 706-273-3888. Email: applelan@ellijay.com. Open: Pick your own dates for Pick your own apples every day from early September until apples are picked out. Come early in the season for the best picking. U-Pick is not included in the farm activity admission price.  HOURS: September & October- 9 am to 6 pm
    ALWAYS check their website for current , pricing, dates and times. Directions: Highway 575 north to Ellijay, Georgia. Take Highway 52 east 9 miles and Hillcrest is on the right. Or: Take Highway 400 north o Dawsonville, Georgia. Go through Dawsonville on highway 52 west to highway 183. Follow highway 183 to highway 52 west. Turn left onto highway 52 west, Hillcrest is 10 miles on the left. Click here for a map and directions. You Pick apples available September and October weekends only; 9 am to 6 pm. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Click here for our Facebook page. Bluegrass bands and clogging groups perform each afternoon at the "Apple Pickin' Jubilee". Food is available outside in the food court or inside the ice cream parlor.  See more photos and descriptions on this page!  .
   Comments from Blake: "If you haven't been to Hillcrest, then you are missing a Georgia institution!  From the pig races, the moonshine museum,  trike track, jumping pillows, apple picking, honeybee exhibition hive, live music on weekends, hayrides (both tractor and mule-drawn), this orchard has it all.  They even have the only cow you and your children can milk in all of the Southeast! Going to Hillcrest is a must for my boys every Fall!"
2. B.J. Reece Apple House - Apple varieties: Arkansas Beauty, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonathon, Granny Smith, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Stayman-Winesap, Yates; 2014 prices: $6 per half-peck, $11 per peck, $18 per half-bushel.  If you want to pick your own, there is an addition $5 fee to enter the orchard. Offers PYO on certain dates - call
   9131 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: 706-276-3048. Fax: 706-276-3058. Email: reeceorchards@ellijay.com. 
3. Mack Aaron's Apple House - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Jonagold, Fuji, Stayman Winesap, Granny Smith. Prices:  About the same as other orchards (depends on the variety and size of the apples). they do have half bushel seconds
   Near 8700 Hwy 52 East., Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3600. Open: in season, 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday; 12:30pm to 5:30 pm on Sunday.
4. Aaron's Apple House - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Detroit Red, Ozark Gold, Jonathon, Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Stayman Winesap, Fuji, Arkansas black, Granny Smith, Yates. 2014 Prices: $4 quarter peck, $6 per half-peck, $12 per peck, $16 per half-bushel. $6 per half bushel for seconds/culls (when they have them)
   52 East Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: (706) 273-3180. Email: sales@aaronfamilyorchards.com. Open: 9 am to 6 pm 7 days a week August-December. Directions: 8.5 miles East of Ellijay on Hwy. 52.  Mailing address: 52 East Ellijay, GA 30536. Click here for our Facebook page.  We are re-branding ourselves as Aaron Family Orchards, and have done almost a complete remodel. If you would like, visit our Facebook Page for updated photos. We now do PYO by Appointment.
5. Hudsons - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Detroit Red, Gala, Mutsu, Ginger Gold, Granny Smith, Jonathon, Jonagold, Fuji, Yates. 2010 prices: $4 per half peck, $8 per peck, $10-$12 per half bushel (varies by variety).
   8036 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone 706-273-3160. Open 7 days, 8:30 am to 5 pm.  2nds.
6. Seller's Orchard - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Cameo, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Winesap; 2014 Prices: $7 per half peck, $8-9 per peck and $16-18 per half bushel
   Route 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3026. Open: August through December 9 am to 6 pm. Directions: 7 miles East of Ellijay on Hwy. 52.
7. R & A Orchards - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, loda, honeycrisp, cameo, Detroit Red, Ozark Gold,  Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Stayman Winesap, Fuji, Arkansas black, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Yates. 2014 Prices: $6 per half peck, $12 per peck and $18 per half bushel; seconds/culls are usually around $20/bushel
   5055 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-273-3821. Open: daily from 9 am to 6:30 pm. Directions: Located 4.5 Miles East of Ellijay On Hwy 52
8. Oak Hill Orchards - UPDATE 2007: Oak Hill CLOSED permanently! :(
   Apple varieties: Arkansas Black, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Yates;
   4986 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3644 Click here for more information, directions, photos and a review.
9. Panorama Orchards, Inc. - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty; 2014 Prices: $6 per half peck, $11 per peck, $18 per half bushel; seconds are $0.30/lb. Deer apples $3/box, Mixed apples $10 for half bushel box. Open: daily from 9 am to 6 pm.
   P.O. Box 157, East Ellijay, GA 30539. (across the street from Penland's, right on the Hwy 515 bypass). Phone: (706) 276-3813.
10. Penland's Apple House - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty; 2014 prices: $6 per half peck, $10 per peck, $18 per half bushel.  No seconds/culls, but they do have small apples for $10 per half bushel
    Hwy 515 Bypass, Ellijay, GA 30540. Email: penland@ellijay.com.  They also have a location at Ga Hwy 282 and US 76, 8 miles west of Ellijay. Phone: (706) 635-5110. Open: August through December, 7 days a week, 9am to 6pm.
11. Red Apple Barn - Apple varieties: Fuji, Cameo, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Winesap; 2010 prices: $5 per half-peck, $8 per peck, $12 per half-bushel and $24 per bushel for all varieties. Offers PYO on certain dates - call. Note: they usually have some specials at reduced prices, last reported was $14 per bushel, which are just smaller sized apples - perfect for applesauce.
    3379 Tails Creek Road, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-635-5898. Email: apples@redapplebarn.com. Open:U-Pick Apples is planned to start in late August,  U-Pick is Saturday 10:30-5:00 and Sunday 1:00-4:00; also open on Columbus Day Monday, The Pumpkin Patch Is Open On Weekends, Apple House Farm Market Hours. Mon-Sat 9-6 and Sunday 1-5:30.  Weekday Groups by Appt. School Field Trips Call for Weekdays. Friday 10:30-1:00; Market Hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Fall Festivals, Cabin Rentals, Places to Eat, Zip Lines, Parks, Biking, Hiking, Tubing, Whitewater Rafting, Outdoor activities in North Georgia. Directions: from Atlanta: Follow I-75 north to I-575 north. 575 turns into highway 515. Follow highway 515 to the first red light south of Ellijay at Long Horns. Turn left at the red light onto Howard Simmons Road. Go .6 miles and turn right on highway 5 north. Drive 1.7 miles to the red light and turn left on Ga- 282/US-76 west. Go 3.2 miles and the Red Apple Barn will be on the left. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Click here for our Facebook page. The Apple House carries a wide variety of different apple products, jams, jellies, syrups, ciders and baked goods. We are not renting out spaces for Weddings/Receptions... at this time. We have expanded for more space to shop and 'social distancing'. We are not certified organic but we do use  "organic" sprays. (UPDATED: August 28, 2020)

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Festivals

1. Georgia Apple Festival - the October 2020 Georgia Apple Festival has been cancelled due to public health considerations. Learn More
   Ellijay, GA. Email: info@gilmerchamber.com. The Ellijay Lions Club, the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, and the cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay invite everyone to come and enjoy the 34th year of the Georgia Apple Festival. There are over 300 vendors with handmade, hand-crafted items, as well as many on-site demonstrations of how selected types of crafts are made. This year promises many new crafts as well as favorites from past festivals. There is a parade and antique car show each year. The parade is on the second Saturday. 32th Annual Georgia Apple Festival  From the mountains of North Georgia  Event dates: Second and third weekend in October. Producing 600,000 bushels of apples each fall, Ellijay/Gilmer County is Georgia's Apple Capital, so it's only natural that the second and third weekends of October each year, people from all over the nation come to Ellijay to celebrate the apple. Handmade arts and crafts, homegrown entertainment, and plain old fun, combine with every apple product imaginable to make the weekends a family adventure. Throw in the colorful fall leaves, crisp mountain air, sky-blue days, and star-studded nights and you will want to visit again and again. Sponsored by the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce and the Ellijay Lions Club, the festivities include a car show and a parade. Call the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce office for more information (706) 635-7400. Also see ELLIJAY CELEBRATES 34 FUN-FILLED YEARS!

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Closed or erroneous

Other websites list these as apple orchards, but they are either permanently closed or not even an orchard.

• Country Apples/Country Hearth - This is a gift shop, not an orchard
  Phone: (706) 276-6541. P.O. Box 603, Ellijay, GA 30540.  
• Pat-A-Cake Bakery - it is a bakery! Applejournal.com lists them as an orchard!
  1075 Old Hwy 5 South, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-636-3917 Fax:706-636-3917. 
  They do have fresh apple bread, fried apple pies and other treats! 

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Ellijay Apple Varieties

Below is a listing of the main varieties grown in the Ellijay area. Ellijay Apple season is approximately: August to December. The apples are listed in approximate order of ripening and harvesting.

Apple Variety	Photo	Usually start harvesting	Flavor	Best uses
Gala		August 1	Very sweet	Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies
Ginger Gold		Early	Sweet	Eating
Detroit Red	Got a  photo to share?	August 1	Tart	Cooking
Ozark Gold	Got a  photo to share?	August 1	Tart	Cooking
Jonathon		August 15	Tart	Cooking
Red Delicious		August 15	Sweet	Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking
Golden Delicious		August 15	Sweet	Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking
Empire		August 20	Tart	Cooking
Honey Crisp		August 20	Sweet, Crisp, Juicy	Eating, Applesauce, Apple Butter, Pies
Mutsu		September 1	Sweet / Tart	Cooking / Eating
Jonagold		September 1	Sweet / Tart	Cooking / Eating
Rome Beauty		September 15	Slightly Tart	Cooking / Eating
Stayman - Wine sap		September 15	Tart	Cooking / Eating
Granny Smith		September 25	Tart	Cooking / Eating
Fuji		October 20	Very sweet	Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies, cooking
Brae burn		October 20	Sweet	Eating
Arkansas Black		October 20	Tart	Baking, Eating (very hard apple)
Pink Lady		October 25	Sweet	Eating
Yates	Got a  photo to share?	Nov 1	Sweet	Eating

 

Canning Books, Supplies and Accessories

These are my favorite essential canning tools, books and supplies. I've been using many of these for over 50 years of canning! The ones below on this page are just the sampling of. my preferred tools. but you can find much more detailed and extensive selections on the pages that are linked below.

• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning
• Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
• Cherry pitters reviews, prices and ordering
• Steam Juicers
• Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

The Ball Blue Book of Home Canning

The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes Paperback

This is THE book on canning! My grandmother used this book when I was a child.; It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost anything; complete with recipes for jam, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning vegetables, meats, etc.

If it can be canned, this book likely tells you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no obligation to buy)The New Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving

Canning & Preserving For Dummies in Paperback

Canning and Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward

This is another popular canning book. Click here for more information, reviews, prices for Canning and Preserving For Dummies

Of course, you do not need to buy ANY canning book as I have about 500 canning, freezing, dehydrating and more recipes all online for free, just see Easy Home Canning Directions.

Home Canning Kits

McSunley 21.5 quart Water Bath Canner, Stainless Steel See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

I have several canners, and my favorite is the stainless steel one at right. It is easy to clean and seems like it will last forever. Mine is 10 years old and looks like new.

The black ones are the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce.

This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, Jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer,  It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. It's only missing the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book.

You will never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)!

The complete list of canners is on these pages:

• Water bath canners - Good for acidic foods, like applesauce, pickles, salsa, jams, jellies, most fruits
• Pressure canners - needed for low and non-acidic foods, like canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc), and meats
• Canners for glass top stoves if you have a glass or ceramic stove
• Canners for induction stovetops

 

Pressure Canners

If you plan on canning non-acidic foods and low acid foods that are not pickled - this means: meats, seafood, soups, green beans corn, most vegetables, etc., then you ABSOLUTELY must use a Pressure Canner.

Of course, you can use a pressure canner as a water bath canner as well - just don't seal it up, so it does not pressurize. This means a Pressure Canner is a 2-in-1 device. With it, you can can almost ANYTHING.

There are also other supplies, accessories, tools and more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

Canning Supplies Starter Kit - Canning Jar Lifter, Canning funnel, Scissor Tongs, more

Basic Canning Accessories

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lids- disposable - you may only use them once
4. Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars cool - then you remove them, save them and reuse them
5. Canning Jar funnel - to fill the jars

Strainers

These are very useful for making sauces like applesauce, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, jellies, etc. Below are my favorites. The complete list is on these pages:

• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

Inexpensive Old School Strainers: hand cranked Foley Food Mills

• The hand-cranked Foley food mill (see this page or clock the ad box) has been used for well over 100 years in homes all over America (and variants around the world). It is effective and inexpensive, and ideal for small batches.  However, if you need to make many quarts, you will sure end up with tunnel carpel syndrome or some other repetitive strain injury.

Norpro 1951 Manual Food Strainer and other brand stariners, with optional motors; (almost identical to Victorio V250, Villaware and Roma models, all discontinued)

This is The next step up from the Foley food mill. First, it's far more ergonomic, and its handle is easier to use. Next, it works in continuous mode rather than batch mode. So you can do much larger volumes easily. Finally, It has an optional motor, so you can. remove the manual labor.  It also offers many different size strainers to use for different types of berries, vegetables and fruit.

See the seller's website for more information, features, pricing and user reviews!

• A Johnny, Weston or Oxo strainer (about $60 - $100, see further down the page) or
• This trainer is. simply a more upscale and improved version of the one above.
• See this page for more information, reviews, descriptions of other strainers and supplies or to order!

Find this item (B09WDKLMPW) on Amazon

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

KitchenAid - Best Large Volume Strainers

If you're going to do large volumes of fruit or vegetables , or do it year after year, then. you really should think about getting a higher end kitchen. utility device. Kitchen aids are the cream of the crop. Once you buy one of these, you keep at the rest of your life and it gets handed down to the next generation. . My sister is using one she inherited from my mother 25 years ago, who got it in the 1940s as a wedding gift. So, although the initial cost is high, they literally last for many lifetime. So the cost on an annual basis is pretty trivial, especially when you consider the cost of therapy and treatment for. the repetitive strain injuries you will get from manual cranking day after day. Add to that of course the cost of therapy for the emotional injuries you'll get from going insane, standing there hand cranking something for hours.

KitchenAid's with a sieve/grinder (with the attachments, costs about $400, but it lasts a lifetime and is fast and easy to use - I can make 100 quart jars of applesauce per day with one of these).

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon  See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

FREE Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

Don't spend money on books. that you don't need to. Almost everything you can find in some book sold online or in a store is on my website here for free. Start with theEasy Home Canning Directions below. That is a master list of canning directions which are all based upon the Ball Bblue book, the National Center for Home Food Preservation and other reputable lab tested recipes. Almost every recipe I present in addition to being lab tested com. is in a step by step format with photos for each step and complete. explanations. that tell you how to do it, where to get the supplies and pretty much everything you need to know. In addition, there almost always in a PDF format so you can print them out and use them while you cook.

[ Easy Home Canning Directions]

[FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems]

[Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!]

[Free canning publications to download and print]

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc. Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!