Leave the city in the rearview mirror this weekend and treat the kids to the rural experience of apple picking.   The outing can include an orchard family photo op, a quest for the best half-bushel, a lesson in where our food comes from and an apple pop quiz on the way home.

How many apples does it take to make a 9-inch pie?  Who planted the first U.S. apple trees?  Why should we eat the skin?  The answers to these questions and many others can be found on the University of Illinois Extension Apples and More website.  And to learn the difference between a Fuji and a Granny Smith, and what’s sweet and what’s tart, try the U. S. Apple Association.

The apple picking season varies by region and with weather patterns, so check things out first.  Newspapers, university extension services, state travel websites and your favorite search engines are good places to start.

And when you get home, the October cooking magazines and websites are brimming with apple recipes.  Martha Stewart’s What to Do with Apples has a delicious-sounding Barbecued Pork and Apple Kabobs recipe.  Apples, of course, can also be consumed as beverages and we at Sip & Savor invite you to enjoy the 100 percent juices and other apple drinks our member companies make.  You can check out our products page to see who makes what.