Our apples.
Gala.
Striped or mottled red appearance over a yellow background. Sweet and mild in flavor, with hints of honeyed vanilla, juicy with floral scent, cream-colored, firm flesh.
Golden Delicious.
Yellow thin skin. Sweet with floral and mild honeyed flavor that is juicy bite with crisp, semi-firm to tender white to ivory flesh, aromatic with low acidity.
Braeburn.
Yellow-green skin overlaid with red and orange stripes. Sweet-tart flavor with hints of pear and cinnamon with crisp, firm texture.
Spartan.
Unique deep red coloration with yellow and green patches, often with a white dusting on the thick skin. Sweet, crisp juicy flesh with perfumed strawberry-melon aroma, slightly tart, medium acidity. Developed in Summerland, BC.
Winter Banana.
Smooth, pale yellow waxy skin with a delicate pinkish-red blush that adds a lovely touch of color. Sweet and fragrant of bananas, with juicy, melting flesh that’s wonderfully aromatic and low in acidity.
Gravenstein.
Thin, waxy yellow-green skin with red stripes, often asymmetrical, giving each apple a unique look. Crisp, juicy firm flesh with both sweet and tart notes, often with floral, citrus undertones, aromatic with high acidity. Popular in northern Europe, difficult to grow, an early apple, ripening early in August (Victoria).
Cider making.
According to the BC Fruit Testers Association…
“…use a blend of apple varieties with a good balance of aroma, sugar, tannin and acid. Juice yield varies with the type of equipment used but with good equipment and technique a yield of 60-65% is achievable so 100 kg yields 60-65 liters or 100 lbs yields 27-30 liters.”
Our premium cider blend is a mix of our apple varieties.
Contact us for our recommendation of an excellent local company who will provide the expertise, facility, and supplies for making cider from start to finish.
Growth and handling of our apples.
We are located in beautiful Saanich, right beside Elk Lake on Brookleigh Road. Our apple trees are lovingly cared for without the use of any pesticides, which means the apples naturally show the distinctive characteristics of organic fruit. Often, this includes evidence that a codling moth has burrowed into the apple to just eat the seeds before moving on, as these moths are typically absent in fully mature apples.
Apples with past presence of codling moth are excellent for use in cider. They can also be processed for cooking, juicing, or enjoyed fresh—avoiding the core and the moth's exit site. However, these particular apples are not ideal for long-term storage for more than a month. Apples without sign of codling moth can be stored longer term.
Our orchard is home to very mature apple trees that receive consistent care through regular drip irrigation and mulching. We also maintain a clean orchard environment to promote the overall health of the trees. The apple blossoms are pollinated naturally by thousands of bees living in the surrounding forest, who also feed from our extensive year round gardens, helping to keep the entire ecosystem thriving.
Date of harvest.
Early Apples: Gravenstein apples are our predominant, early variety and are typically available the second week of August. Please note that only a limited number of these apples are available each season.
Regular Apples: Our regular season apple selection includes Gala, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Spartan and Winter Banana. These apples are usually ready for harvest and available the second week of October.
Apple sales.
Apple sales are only available in bulk, as it is not possible for our small farm to accommodate the sale of small bags of apples. However, we offer all-natural, non-sprayed apples at wholesale rates, which are significantly lower than the cost of store-bought organic apples.
Sales rates (no GST or PST added):
$1.25/lb 100 - 350 lbs (minimum order):
$1.00/lb 400 – 950 lbs
$0.75/lb 1000 lbs or more
All apple sales use your containers that are dropped off and picked up at our farm by appointment. It may be possible to load your containers while you wait depending of timing. You can use cardboard boxes or other containers, but clean large plastic garbage cans work best because they’re cheap, easy to clean, and reusable. A 90-liter can holds about 100 lbs of apples and can be moved by two people. Delivery is available for large orders, where we’ll place apples into your commercial bins at cost.
Payment.
A 25% deposit is needed when you place your order. The remaining 75% is due 2 days before pickup or delivery.
You can pay by cash or e-transfer to brookleighfarmandgardens@gmail.com
Cheque payments require prior arrangement at least 10 business days in advance of pickup or delivery.