A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Welcome to the first annual Cider Donut Palooza! A few friends of mine got together and we hit up 10 local orchards for a battle of the cider donuts. Which one came out on top? You’ll just have to keep reading!

Who were the contenders? Honey Pot Hill Orchards, Berlin Orchards, Davidian Farm (not an orchard), Tougas Farm, Derby Ridge (not an orchard), Carver Hill, Bolton Orchards, Bolton Spring Farm, Carlson Orchards and Idylwilde Farms.

First stop on our list was Tougas Family Farm, located in Northborough. This is one of my top choices for picking fruit – we went countless times this summer. They have cherries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins. Not crowded if you go early on the weekdays. They have a tons of fruit and a huge playground for the kids to run around in afterwards. They have barn animals and a goat bridge. The farm store offers lunch and goods to take home, such as donuts, pies, cider and more. The have large indoor restrooms and portable restrooms as well. No dogs allowed.

Located just at the bottom of the hill, before you go up to Tougas, is Davidian’s Farm Market. While you can’t pick apples here, they have a really nice assortment of their own fruits and vegetables: corn, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, peppers and more! They have a HUGE bakery section and throw in a deli and you have one stop shopping. Pick up some mums outside or even choose a pumpkin to bring home.

The market is open daily, from 9am – 6:30pm. Also, worth noting, is that they offer a CSA. Their large share is $540 and their small share is $335.

Third stop is Berlin Orchards. They are open Monday – Friday from 10am-5pm. Saturday and Sundays they are open 9am -5pm. They offer WEEKDAY wagon rides from 11am-4pm. There is just a really nice feeling about this place – very family friendly. The farm store offers pre-picked fruit as well as delicious donuts – and the people working there couldn’t be nicer!

Ripening schedule is as follows: Ginger Gold & Paula Red:  Beginning August 28, Macs:  Beginning September 3, Gala, Cortland:  Beginning September 11, Honey Crisp, Golden Supreme:  September 13, Jonagold: Beginning September 25, Macoun:  Beginning September 25, Mutsu & Red Delicious:  Beginning October 2. No dogs allowed.

Fourth Stop is Honey Pot Hill Orchards. I have been going here since I was a kid. My best advice is go on a weekday if you can and if you have to go on the weekend, go early. The parking lot can get a little crazy on the weekend – but note that if you are just heading to the store and NOT picking apples, you can go to the parking lot right next to the store.

Plenty of family fun here. Hayrides 10am-4:30pm on the weekends and 12pm – 4pm on weekdays. There are three mazes for you to choose from: the big green monster maze, the little hedge maze and the tunnel maze. Don’t forget to say hello to the farm animals: the mini ponies, the rabbits, the goats, the chickens and of course the three little pigs! They offer a hard cider tent on the weekends for those that are 21+. Stop into the store for pre picked fruit, caramel apples, pies and more. Sorry, no dogs allowed.

If you aren’t looking, you might drive right past Carver Hill Orchards. It’s a great family run orchard located in Stow. I went mid morning on a Friday and it was very quiet there, like I had lucked out and had the place to myself! Carver Hill offers cherries, apples, peaches, raspberries, blueberries and much more for “pick your own”.

Stop in to their farm store for cider donuts (on the weekends only) or a light bite, think hot dogs and apple crisp. You are welcome to bring your own picnic lunch, tables are on a first come, first serve basis. Sorry, dogs are not allowed.

Just down the street from Carver Hill is Derby Ridge Farm. While this is not an orchard, they offer 30 varieties of their own apples, peaches, pears and plums. They carry local honey, jams, jelly and maple syrup. In the fall, they make their own fudge, cider donuts and other baked goods.

September Hours are Monday and Tuesday 12pm-6pm, Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm.

Located in Harvard, MA, Carlson Orchards offers blueberry, raspberry, peach and nectarine picking as well as pick your own apples. Their farm store sells their hard ciders as well as their sweet ciders, including their premium blend and their varietal blends (100% honeycrisp, 100% gala and 100% Fuji). Pick your own is open from 9am – 4pm daily and the retail store is open 9am – 5pm daily. Sorry, no dogs allowed.

Bolton Spring Farm offers pick your own apples from 9am- 4:30pm daily. Their store bakes hot apple dumplings daily, as well as apple crisp and old fashioned cider spiced donuts. Make sure to grab some of their cinnamon bread while you are there. The store is open from late May until the end of December, selling a variety of native peaches, pears, plums, nectarines and over 25 varieties of apples. Hayrides have been put on hold due to COVID.

Not pictured was Bolton Orchards and Idylwilde Farm, located in Acton. Bolton Orchards offers daily lunch specials, ice cream, fresh produce and locally produced specialty goods. They are open daily 9am – 5pm.

Idylwilde has their own grown beets, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, peas and so much more. They support other local farms and are fully stocked all year round. They’re open Monday 8am – 7pm, closed Tuesday, and open Wednesday – Sunday 8am-7pm.

Big shout out to Alex Schwartz, who made an interactive map of all the places to sample cider donuts in Massachusetts (he is up to 191 locations!!). He inspired us to do this Donut Palooza in the first place!

So where did we think had the best donuts? We chose Davidian’s Farm!

Where are you favorite cider donuts from?

Tags: donuts, kid friendly