A visit to Hicks Orchard in Granville might begin with a walk among the apple trees and end with a warm cider donut. But the apples in your bag and the cider in that donut both result from year-long work: pruning in winter, caring for the trees through summer, and picking and pressing the fall crop.
Hicks Orchard is New York’s oldest U-pick orchard, welcoming people to harvest their own apples since 1905. The Hicks family planted trees on land too rocky for many field crops, using what they had as best they could. Today, owner and operator Dan Wilson carries on that small-farm tradition while finding new ways to use the harvest, including donuts and hard cider made at Slyboro Ciderhouse.
Growing an Apple Season
Work in the orchard continues long after the last visitor has picked the last of the season’s apples. Then, as the trees begin to wake in spring, the weather can change the prospects for fall’s harvest in a matter of hours.
An early stretch of warm weather can push apple buds toward an early bloom. Freezing nights can damage the open blooms, preventing them from becoming apples.
Depending on conditions and equipment, orchards may also use wind machines or irrigation to protect blossoms. Hicks Orchard has weathered many nights like this, tending fires in the orchard while a tractor-driven blower pushes the warmth toward the trees.
Once fruit begins to grow, the work changes again. In summer, the team mows, cares for the trees, watches for insects and disease, and prepares for the busy fall harvest. By the time visitors arrive to pick, the crop has already come through months of weather and daily attention.
Hicks grows about 30 apple varieties. Some are familiar favorites for eating or baking; others are grown with cider in mind. They ripen at different times, giving visitors something new to pick as the season progresses. Picking generally starts in late August and continues through October, with the weather and the crop determining what is available on any given day.
Varieties selected for pressing become fresh cider or the starting point for Slyboro’s hard ciders. Wilson grows traditional American cider apples such as Golden Russet alongside European varieties prized for the tannins and flavors they bring to a finished drink.
From Fresh Cider to Donuts
Fresh apple cider is a key ingredient in the orchard’s cider donuts. Hicks began making them in the 1980s after Wilson’s family encountered a donut machine at another small farm. The recipe has remained a fixture ever since.
The team uses a longtime favorite donut mix and adds its fresh cider for flavor and gentle sweetness. A machine fries and turns the donuts, giving them a crisp outside and tender center. Visitors can choose them plain or coated in cinnamon sugar. Paired with cider after an afternoon of picking, they have become part of the Hicks Orchard tradition for generations of families.
How Slyboro Makes Hard Cider
Hard cider begins with the apples, too, though its journey takes longer. Slyboro often presses a batch from a single variety picked at peak ripeness, but some varieties are allowed to mature further in storage. The fresh juice goes into a fermentation tank with yeast. As the yeast consumes the juice’s sugar, it produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Wilson favors a slow fermentation of about six to eight weeks to develop the cider’s quality and flavor.
Slyboro offers still and sparkling styles, fruit ciders, and ice cider, inviting visitors to discover just how different two drinks made from apples can taste. Taking its name from the centuries-old Slyboro hamlet where Hicks Orchard stands, the hard cidery also approaches cider-making from a historic angle.
Traditional American cider grew out of necessity. Early settlers planted apples from seed, producing trees whose fruit varied in sweetness, acidity, and tannin. Apples too sharp or bitter to enjoy fresh could bring useful character to the finished drink.
Cider remained a familiar American drink through the nineteenth century, then declined as markets changed and Prohibition interrupted production.
For Wilson, hard cider also helps extend the life of the farm beyond fall’s busiest weeks. The orchard’s harvest can become something people enjoy all year, whether they visit the tasting room or pick up a bottle at the Barn Store or their outpost shop at the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls.
Details About Visiting
Picking your own fruit is still at the heart of Hicks Orchard. Wilson values the chance it gives children and adults to harvest food themselves and make memories tied to the farm. The Barn Store and Slyboro Ciderhouse offer more reasons to return throughout the year for cider donuts, local goods, and hard cider tastings.
They also grow blueberries, raspberries, tart cherries, and strawberries for picking, too, so visitors often find something fresh to pick from June through October.
Looking for more great activities in this area?
Naturally, that’s just the beginning of the many unique attractions, activities, and amenities across the county! Washington County offers dozens of pick-your-own experiences, from lavender to potatoes and apples, of course! Near Hicks Orchard, you’ll also find fun activities for kids of all ages, including Jungle Experience Zoo and Adirondack ATV.
