If you want the freshest apples possible, then bring your boots and some plastic bags and make your way to one of these farms! If we have missed one, then please send us an email so we can add to this list.
Most farms are open until the apples are gone. You usually pay Fr. 1.50/kilo. They also sell fresh apple juice in handy 5kg boxes.
GENEVA
** Ferme Courtois
Rte de la Branvaude 13
1290 Versoix, GE
022 755 43 16
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They are open until the apples are gone on weekends 10-17h and Wednesdays 13h30-17h30. They have different varieties that ripen at different stages throughout the season (from now through November). NEW for 2013: U-pick pumpkins too!
** Domaine de l'Orcy
Chemin d'Orcy 20
1239 Collex Bossy, GE
079 449 10 12
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Many varieties of apples ripe for the picking! Bring your own bags, fill them up direct from the trees, then go back to the barn where they are weighed. Open until the apples are gone Monday to Sunday 9h30-12h and 13h30-17h30.
VAUD
** Arboriculteur et cidrerie artisanale Pradervand, Nicolas
Rue des Fontaines 23
1274 Signy, VD
022 362 67 66
You can come to pick your own or bring your own apples for juicing at this farm! Just off the main road that leads to the autoroute. Grapes and plums available too.
Lisa's tried-and-true Tarte Tatin recipe
6 Granny Smith or tart cooking apples
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
1 round puff pastry (my FAVORITE one is the from Picard frozen foods in France)
I find that using an iron skillet works best but use any pan that can go on the stovetop as well as the oven.
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to a hot 225C.
- Peel and halve apples. Take out the core with a melon-baller.
- To cut the apples perfectly you will need 3 cutting boards. Place apple half face down on one board and lay the other 2 boards at the opposite ends of the apple. Slice thin strips straight down on the apple without cutting all the way down (the 2 other cutting boards will prevent you from doing this).
- Place skillet on stove and heat up sugar and butter until melted and just starting to turn brown (be careful as it can burn very quickly at this stage). Remove from heat.
- Add the cinnamon.
- Place uncooked apple halves, rounded-side down, around the pan without disturbing the sugar mixture.
- Lay the puff pastry on the top and tuck carefully around the edge of pan.
- Cook for about 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and let rest for about one minute.
- Lay a large plate that is bigger than the pan over the whole thing and CAREFULLY flip the whole thing. This is a tricky thing to do as some apples release a lot of liquid that will burn you if you are not careful. Granny Smith apples (the tart green ones) don't have a lot of juice.
- Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and serve with a scoop of cold ice cream!
