Blue Jay Orchards | Apple Picking | Connecticut Charm

I love so many farms and apple orchards in Connecticut, but Blue Jay Orchards holds a very special place in my heart every October. Matthew made some lovely new friends at school and when they invited us out to go apple picking we couldn’t dream of refusing, especially after discovering their orchard of choice was Blue Jay’s.

Blue Jay Orchards is the orchard I used to visit every year with my family. Besides the lovely memories, Blue Jay Orchards has 140 acres of apples with all kinds of varieties! I love the genuine authenticity of this farm as it is not over commercialized for tourists. The orchard has an abundance of apples and I have never seen it overcrowded or over-picked. I also love how happy and friendly the farmers and staff are at this orchard. You can see their love for their orchard in the care they take to maintaining it. Tractors pull carts of people around the orchards so this large farm is accessible to everyone. Apple picking season is almost at an end! Thankfully, Blue Jay Orchards is open for the season until early November. This upcoming weekend looks like it is going to be amazing. I hope you get a chance to see an orchard for yourself this Autumn.

It was our friend Kareem’s first time apple picking!

These apple trees are absolutely beautiful. If you are looking for the perfect orchard for family photos: one with gorgeous views, lovely colorful apples, and a quiet corner, this is your orchard.

The day was unusually warm for October and after a little rain that morning, the sun came out and a blue sky started to appear.

What I love most about fresh picked apples is that they taste so amazing. Truly, they taste much different than the apples you buy at the grocery store.

After reading this sign, Matthew threw an apple at me! I caught it, of course!

Thinking of all the lovely recipes I can use these apples for…

I absolutely love this barn shop. Here you can find yummy apple cider and apple cider donuts, but you will also discover all sorts of baked goodies, iced cider, mulled spices, apple butter, unique pastas, homemade soup mixes, honey and syrup from other local farms, pickled vegetables, and jam.

This jam looked unique!

After you shop for some treats, take your goodies and a blanket back to the orchard for a picnic amongst the apples and the leaves.

And don’t forget to pick up a pumpkin on your way out! The “perfect” pumpkins go pretty quick, so you will be left with a fun and unique assortment. Try to look for the most quirky pumpkin you can find.