In the deep cold of a Chicago winter, when the trees are leafless and you have to wear snow boots to work, you might think that there’s no local fruit to be found. But peek inside an office fruit delivery from The FruitGuys, and you might find local gems—like apples from Lehman’s Orchard!
Lehman’s is a third-generation family farm in Niles, Michigan, less than two hours from Chicago as the crow flies. Ralph Lehman, a teacher, first planted fruit there in 1929, and teaching and farming both became family traditions. The farm passed to Ralph’s daughter, Sarajane Lecklider, then her son, Steve Lecklider, who still runs it today. Steve has partnered with The FruitGuys for more than 15 years.
Steve oversees 55 acres of apples, pears, peaches, plums, sweet and tart cherries, berries, and more. When The FruitGuys checked in with him in late October, the farm was just winding down its u-pick season and apple harvest.
“We’re finished picking Cameo, but we have Goldrush, Pink Lady®, Fuji, and Winesap apples coming in,” Steve said. U-pick visitors harvest about 90% of the farm’s apples, then Steve and his team gather the rest. “We pick every last apple and either sell it at the retail level or make single-varietal hard ciders.”
There’s nothing quite like a fresh fall apple, but Steve also grows varieties that store beautifully through the winter. He drives his apples to The FruitGuys’ facility in Chicago so we can pack them in our fruit mixes and send you the sweet taste of autumn all winter long.
Here are a few of Steve’s favorite late fall and winter picks:
The Goldrush is a yellow apple descended from the beloved Golden Delicious, with a pretty red blush and a firm bite.
“The Goldrush apple has a thicker texture, so it’s very satisfying. I like to match the apple to the season, and when you’re in the middle of winter, you want something that’s more rugged or has more gusto to it. That would be the Goldrush,” Steve said.
This sweet red apple stores well from the fall all the way through the spring, and it’s a mainstay in our Midwest mixes at The FruitGuys.
“I think it’s one of the original Fujis that really stood the test of time,” Steve said. “It’s a nice, large apple, and when it’s really ripe, it will have a water core. That’s not necessarily a fault, but an extra element of juiciness!”
The Cameo is a tart red apple with striped skin and a sweet aroma. It originally came from Washington, but it grows beautifully in Michigan’s glacier silt soil. It’s dense and crisp, and holds its flavor well through winter storage.
The FruitGuys’ Midwest customers can look forward to these apples in our mixes all fall and winter long. And more varieties are coming soon!
Working with The FruitGuys has inspired Steve to add new flavors to his orchard.
“The FruitGuys is always looking for what’s new, what’s different, so they were an early buyer of the Honeycrisp apples we had [back in 2008]. Since then, they’ve always been looking for different varieties. It started with the apples, but honestly has carried through to the other fruits we sell—the plums, the peaches,” he said. “I think knowing The FruitGuys has helped expand the range of early-season, mid-season, and late-season varieties we have in just about all of the different fruits that we grow.”
Steve is currently experimenting with apple varieties descended from the Honeycrisp, including the Winecrisp, a deep red apple with a firm texture and sweet-tart, spiced flavor.
Steve’s favorite part of farming is watching the seasons change and growing a variety of fruit throughout the year. Spring brings strawberries in late May, then sweet cherries soon after. In the summer, the farm comes alive with tart cherries; red and black raspberries; blackberries; blueberries; red, white, and black currants; peaches; and plums.
The tart cherries and currants are a favorite of Steve’s Eastern European customers, who drive from Chicago to pick them and turn them into jams and pies. When summer fades, crisp September brings the first apples and pears, and apple picking runs through November.
“Each season gives you a different perspective, and you focus on different things. I like the change of pace,” Steve said.
The FruitGuys’ Midwest customers can taste Steve’s fruit in our mixes throughout the fall and winter. We love his juicy pears and crisp apples! Check out our selection of seasonal, regional fruit mixes and choose your favorite.
If you’re in the Chicago area, you can also visit Lehman’s Orchard from spring through fall for u-pick fruit. Steve designed the orchard to make picking easy. He uses trellises, interplants his fruit trees and berry bushes, and trims his trees to make the fruit accessible without ladders.
Or, for a different experience, stop by Lehman’s Farmhouse in Buchanan, Michigan, just six minutes from the farm. Steve opened the restaurant and distillery in 2017, and it serves up fruit from the farm in multiple ways, from hard ciders to desserts.
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