Halloween and fall aren’t really celebrated in the Netherlands. They have a small holiday for the children around this time of year where they light lanterns and sing for treats, but for the most part everyone is already getting ready for Christmas. In fact, the Christmas cookies and candy are already out in stores.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t fun fall activities to do in Amsterdam. A few weekends ago, Jon and I went apple picking at De Olmenhorst about thirty minutes outside Amsterdam with our friends. I haven’t been apple picking since I was a child, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some fall goodness. Especially since pumpkin patches don’t exist here.
Have you ever been apple picking? It’s such a fun fall activity, and the treats you get to make from your own apples are so worth it. Check out the below information about our experience apple picking at De Olmenhorst.
Xx, Kelsey
HOW WE GOT THERE
We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend’s car. From there it was a straight 30 minute drive or so. If you’re unable to use a car, the train looks fairly easy. We were originally going to go this way. Take the train from Centraal to Nieuw-Vennep. From there you can take the 162 bus to Lisserbroek. There will be about a 12 minute walk from there, so wear comfy shoes. Plug Langoed de Olmenhorst into your google maps for the most up-to-date plan.
WHAT WE DID
Apple picking was our first priority, but you can also pick pears. Make sure to bring your own bag or basket to collect your apples. I didn’t realize this at first, so thankfully we had a grocery bag with us. Otherwise I would have totally brought a picture-worthy basket with me.
The apple picking is right inside the parking lot. The trees aren’t like the big apple trees on the east coast of the United States. Instead, they’re groomed and grow less wide. The apples also seem to hang out in clumps. We learned that there were two different types of apples growing at De Olmenhorst. I can’t tell you what kind they were because they’re Dutch, but one type was a bit sweeter and one was a bit more sour.
After we had enough apples to take home and make treats with, we headed over to the farm area. Here they had lots of games for children, including the cutest pony rides. Unfortunately, traditional American apple cider isn’t a thing here, but we did have some amazing Dutch apple pie.
Once we had our fill of pie, we headed out. On our way out of De Olmenhorst, we found a sign for pumpkins. Naturally, we HAD to stop since carving pumpkins are hard to find in the city.
Funny enough, pumpkins are sold at little stands off the side of the road where you drop euros into a jar and then take your pumpkins. We loaded up with as many pumpkins as we could carry (and bike) home with.
WHAT WE MADE WITH OUR APPLES
Our experience apple picking at De Olmenhorst wouldn’t be complete without making something from our apples. While there are so many good apple recipes out there, I knew I had to make apple cider. It’s one of my favorite things this time of year, especially when it’s hot and has a shot of rum! I used this recipe to make homemade apple cider, and it turned out really well. At first I was nervous that it would be too weak, but after letting it sit overnight the flavor got much stronger.
Ingredients:
10 – 12 apples (a variety works best)
4 cinnamon sticks or 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp of ground cloves
1/2 tbsp of nutmeg
dark brown sugar (to taste. I used about a cup)
about 1 gallon fresh water
Directions:
- Wash, core and cut the apples into wedges. Throw these into a big pot on the stove. Add cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add water to cover the apples plus about 1 inch. The apples float, so you’ll kind of have to eyeball this part. I ended up with what I thought was too much water, but it worked out just fine.
- Cook on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer for two hours. Stir occasionally. Things will start to smell so good here.
- Mash the fruit with a spoon as much as you can before pouring through a strainer. I left some of the pulpy bits, but if you want to get rid of them, strain your cider once more through a cheesecloth. You can either keep the extra fruit to make apple sauce or throw it away.
- Add brown sugar until you reach your desired sweetness. For me, this was about a cup.
- Either enjoy a cup of your cider warm or transfer to a heat-safe container and refrigerate for up to a week. I recommend refrigerating overnight and then freezing anything you’re not ready to enjoy in the upcoming week.
OUTFIT DETAILS:
Orange dress is old, but one in the same color is available here | Similar bag here | Similar boots here (I had to borrow this pair from my friend last minute because the heel of the ones I was wearing broke off in the car!) | Cinco ginger necklace
