Reid Orchards: Harvesting 'Gold Rush' Apples, Still Some Pears

I began harvesting 'Gold Rush' apples a few days ago, and we now have a good amount of them for sale. 'Gold Rush' apples keep amazingly well for fresh eating when kept in the fridge, in the plastic bags I pack them in. This variety gets sweeter in cold storage, as starches convert into sugars, yet retains its crisp texture for 10 months. I'll keep harvesting 'Gold Rush' apples until late Nov., and we'll have them for sale from now until about June 2027.

I harvested this 20-pound box of #1 'Gold Rush' apples a few days ago, and now have 6 boxes like this for sale, plus some #2 apples.

$1.63 per pound + sales tax for #1 fruit with no damage. I harvest and pack apples directly into bags in boxes that I weigh to 20 pounds, so if you get a 20-pound box of #1 apples you save $1.00. We also have some nice #2 apples, with some surface scarring but no internal damage, that sell for just $1.28 per pound + sales tax.

As posted before, we will NOT have pick-your-own apples this fall 2026. After 10 weeks of record high summer heat and a total of only 0.4 inches of rain, most of the 'Enterprise' apples started developing internal breakdown on the trees instead of ripening. We had a 98% crop loss on 'Enterprise' apples this fall, and almost all of the sound 'Enterprise' apples have already been picked and sold. We do still have small amounts of a few harvested apple varieties from my apple breeding program, for sale over the next week or so.

We also still have some #1 and #2 'Harrow Sweet' pears for sale. I love these pears, and eat them 3 times a day during pear season. I give taste samples, and almost everyone who tries them loves them too.

We still have several boxes of #1 'Harrow Sweet' pears for sale, plus some #2 pears.

Prices on apples $1.48 per pound + sales tax for #1 fruit with no damage. I sort and pack apples and pears into bags in boxes that I weigh to 20 pounds, so if you get a 20-pound box of #1 apples or pears you save $1.00. We also have some nice #2 apples and pears, with some surface scarring but no internal damage, that sell for just $1.18 per pound + sales tax.

My husband Bill has been very busy getting pecan equipment and our pecan orchards ready to harvest our 2026 pecan crop. Pecan harvest should start in a couple weeks, but the harvested pecans must be cleaned and dried for 7 to 10 days before cracking them. Our pecan cracking machine removes 2/3 of the loose shell fragments.

We'll have harvested, cracked pecans for sale starting in mid-Nov. There will be fewer nuts to harvest this year, so pecans may sell out for the season by Feb. or March 2027.

We're keeping pecan prices, including sales tax, the same as they've been for the past 6 years. We sell cracked pecans in 4-pound bags, which are over 75% pecan kernels and under 25% shell fragments. Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick out the kernels, you get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats. Each bag costs $19.70 + sales tax, so $20.00 including sales tax.

As always, we take cash or checks for payment, but NO credit cards or debit cards, and no phone "apps". We don't use a smart phone, and have no phone line to the sales building. So please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you want to buy. Thanks.

From now until Dec. 15, we're open the hours shown in the left sidebar. These open hours give me time to harvest tree fruits before customers start coming each day. If I'm out harvesting fruit when you arrive, ring the bell on the sales building VERY LOUDLY. When I'm in the sales building, please do NOT ring the bell. Thanks.