Apple Picking in Commerce Township, Michigan
Fifteen varieties of Michigan apples grown right here in Commerce Township, northwest of Detroit, from late-August Paula Reds to bake-worthy Northern Spys. Pick your own in the orchard during u-pick season, or grab them already picked inside the Cider Mill barn any day, an easy apple run from Milford, Novi, White Lake, and the rest of western Oakland County.
1540 E Commerce Rd, Commerce Township, MI · (248) 360-3774
The orchard, your bag
U-Pick Apples in the Orchard, Straight From the Tree
The crunch is better when you picked it yourself.
When u-pick season is on, you walk the rows and pick from the same trees that fill our cider press. Varieties come ripe in waves through the fall, Paula Reds lead off in late August, so every visit picks a little different. The calendar below shows typical Michigan ripening windows, the farm update carries each week’s truth. Opening dates, picking days, and how bags work are posted on the farm update as each variety comes ready, or call the Hotline at (248) 360-3774.
Check the farm update before you drive out, it lists exactly what’s ripe and picking that day.
Open daily in season, no ticket
Already-Picked Apples in the Cider Mill Barn, Every Day
All fifteen varieties of u-pick apples in Michigan's apple belt, zero ladder required.
Every variety we grow is picked fresh and stocked inside the Cider Mill barn, open daily through Thanksgiving Eve with no admission. What’s on the shelf shifts with the harvest, early fall belongs to McIntosh and Gala, late fall to Fuji and Evercrisp.
We’re a cashless farm, cards and mobile pay only.
The chart worth printing
15 Apple Varieties & What Each One Is Best For
| Variety | Best For | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
| Paula Red¹ | Eating, baking | Mild-tart |
| McIntosh² | Eating, pies, baked, sauce, salads | Mild-tart |
| Honeycrisp³ | Eating | Sweet & crisp |
| Cortland | Eating, pies, baked, sauce, salads | Mild-tart |
| Jonathan | Eating, pies, baked, sauce, salads | All-purpose |
| Empire | Eating, pies, baked, sauce, salads | Mild-tart |
| Gala | Eating | Sweet |
| Golden Delicious | Eating, salads | Sweet |
| Jonagold | Eating, pies, baked, sauce, salads | Tart-sweet |
| Red Delicious | Eating, salads | Sweet |
| Ida Red | Eating, baking | Tart, firm |
| Fuji | Eating | Sweet-tart |
| Northern Spy⁴ | Pies, baked, sauce, salads | Tart |
| Evercrisp | Eating | Sweet, firm |
| Ambrosia | Eating, salads | Sweet, crisp |
¹ Late August only, short season ² Great pie flavor but cooks down ³ Keeps very well refrigerated ⁴ Wonderful for baking. Crosses: Empire = McIntosh × Red Delicious, Jonagold = Jonathan × Golden Delicious, Evercrisp = Honeycrisp × Fuji. Generally accepted uses, personal preference may vary.
Ripeness runs the schedule
When Each Apple Variety Is Ready to Pick
Late AugustPaula Red leads off
SeptemberMcIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala, Ambrosia, Cortland, Jonathan
OctoberEmpire, Jonagold, Golden & Red Delicious, Ida Red
Late season keepersFuji, Northern Spy, Evercrisp
Every week picks a little different.
The farm update lists exactly what’s ripe and picking today.
Farm-kitchen knowledge, free with every bag
Apple Math: How Many You Need & How to Keep Them Fresh
4
medium apples make one pound
6–8
apples make a 9-inch pie
1
bushel makes 16 to 20 quarts of applesauce
33–40°
the sweet spot for storing apples
Keeping them: handle apples gently, bumps become soft dark spots. Refrigerate if you can; otherwise a cool garage or cellar works, boxed with layers of newspaper or a blanket so they don’t freeze. Honeycrisp is an especially good keeper.
Eating them: about 85 calories each, low fat, low sodium, fairly high in potassium, a good source of fiber, and high in pectin, which seems to help limit cholesterol.
From the farm kitchen, unchanged for generations
Apple Recipes From the Long Family Kitchen
Always Perfect Crust
4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbs. honey, 2 tsp. salt, 1¾ cups solid vegetable shortening (not refrigerated), 1 Tbs. white or cider vinegar, 1 large egg, ½ cup water.
Mix flour and salt. Add shortening, mix with a fork until crumbly. Beat water, vinegar, honey and egg in a small bowl. Combine liquid and flour until moistened. Divide into fifths, roll into flattened patties, wrap and chill at least half an hour. Flour and roll out on a floured board. Makes five crusts, freeze the extras.
Apple Sauce
8 to 10 apples, cored and quartered, ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar or brown sugar (optional), ¼ tsp. cinnamon, lemon juice.
Simmer apples with water, covered, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill well. If desired, add a few drops of lemon juice, a bit of butter, or the cinnamon to perk up flavor.
Apple Dessert Cake
3 cups apples cut up fine, 1½ cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1½ cups flour, 2 tsp. soda, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg.
Mix apples and sugar, let set until dissolved. Add eggs, then sift together and add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well, pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.
Michigan Apple Pie
½ cup (or less) sugar, 2 Tbs. flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 6 to 8 apples peeled and sliced, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 2 Tbs. butter.
Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon, spread half over the crust. Add apples, sprinkle the rest over top, then lemon juice, and dot with butter. Brush the upper crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 for 30 to 40 minutes.
Baked Apple
6 large baking apples, ¾ cup raisins or chopped nuts, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, 2 Tbs. butter, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg.
Core apples, pare a strip from the top of each, place in a baking dish and fill with raisins or nuts. Boil the brown sugar, water, butter and nutmeg, pour the hot syrup around the apples. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, basting occasionally.
Apple Nut Squares
3 eggs, 1¾ cups sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1½ tsp. cinnamon, 2 cups peeled diced apples, ½ cup chopped nuts, whipped topping.
Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, blend in. Fold in apples and nuts. Spread in a lightly greased 13x9x2 pan, bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool, serve with whipped topping. Yields 16 to 20 servings.
Worth the drive
The Apple Orchard Metro Detroit Comes Back To Every Fall
We’re in Commerce Township in western Oakland County, an easy apple run from Milford, Novi, White Lake, Walled Lake, Wixom, and Waterford, and worth the drive from Livonia, Plymouth, Northville, South Lyon, and Brighton. Make a day of it: the cider mill and donuts are in the same barn, and the Fun Farm runs on fall weekends.
The stretch is half the fun
Ripening in waves
You'll know it when you see it
Before you head to the orchard
Apple Picking Questions, Answered
When does apple picking season start at Long Family Orchard?
Varieties ripen in waves from late August through fall, with Paula Reds first out of the gate, some of the easiest apple picking in Michigan to plan around. The farm update on our homepage lists what’s picking each day.
Do I need a Fun Farm ticket to pick apples?
U-pick details, including tickets and access, are posted on the farm update as each picking weekend is announced, or call (248) 360-3774 before your trip. Already-picked apples in the Cider Mill barn, where orchard prices are posted at the counter, never require a ticket.
Can I buy fresh Michigan apples without picking them myself?
Yes, every day we’re open. All fifteen varieties rotate through the Cider Mill barn already picked, first week of September through Thanksgiving Eve, no admission needed.
Which apples are best for apple pie and baking?
Northern Spy is the baker’s favorite here, wonderful for pies. Cortland, McIntosh, Empire, Jonagold, and Jonathan all bake well too, and the chart above sorts every variety by use.
How do you store fresh-picked apples so they last?
Refrigerate if you can, they keep best at 33 to 40 degrees. Otherwise a cool garage or cellar works: box them with layers of newspaper or a blanket so they don’t freeze. Honeycrisp is an especially good keeper.
What apple varieties can you pick at the orchard?
Varieties come ripe in waves, so what’s picking changes week to week through the fall. The farm update on our homepage lists exactly what’s ready each day.
What forms of payment does the farm accept?
We’re a cashless farm: all major credit and debit cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Fifteen Varieties, One Orchard, All Fall
A hundred and fifty years of Michigan apples on Commerce Road. Come pick a bag, or let us hand you one in the barn.