be drilled to plant Colossal Chestnut trees in one orchard that faces the south-east. A second orchard facing south-west holds nine rows of Sweet Bing Cherries, Hosui and Shinko Asian Pears, beautiful Red Bartlett pears, Gala Apples, Fuji Apples, Mutsu Apples, Arkansas Black, Granny Smith, the Cameo and Honeycrisp Apples, totalling over 190 trees. The Schroeder kids remember, before the drip-line system was added to the orchards, hand-watering with a truck, a hose and some five-gallon buckets. Other orchard duties have included pruning trees, painting the bottom trunk so trees won’t get sunburnt, clearing out the manzanita and other forest ruffage that would build up between tree rows and, of course, picking apples! During this time, one may see Aaron up on the tractor, pulling the ruffage out with the Schroeder girls in tow, shoveling out and picking up brush that was not caught with the tractor. Once picked and cleaned, Diane would take Aaris and sometimes the other kids to the Farmer’s Market nearby in Garden Valley, CA where the Schroeders sold apples, chestnuts, pears, cherries and even baked and canned home goods like apple sauce, apple pies and more. Diane’s daughters Arminda and Aubrey loved to learn and watch their mother bake pies and other goodies. Once the kids were all graduated from High School and off to college, Wayne and Diane began having some fun and diversity with what they were making with their fruit. They started off innocently enough with cold-pressed Apple Cider – fresh from the orchards. Then the couple began making Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with live cultures (the mother). Wayne decided to try a champagne yeast which made the ACV fizzy – the result is a mild, fizzy, slightly sweet taste. The vinegar is great for digestion and helps aid in gut health and improves weight management along with a slew of other great health benefits. In addition, Wayne and Diane began making hard cider in many flavors like pomegranate, ginger, and mulling spice for the family which would be shared around holiday dinners. Last year, Diane came up with the crafty idea of making Apple Cider Syrup – think caramel-thick. Besides the perfectly nice apple cider flavored syrup, Diane tried adding fresh ginger juice to one batch, and cinnamon stick to another batch, reducing a five-gallon vat of juice to 1 gallon, making the perfect trifecta of syrups and bottled in maple syrup bottles. This golden brown syrup can be reconstituted as a hot cider, top your pancakes or yogurt, sweetened apple pies and baked goods, added to the center of homemade cinnamon rolls or just drizzle it over your vanilla ice cream for an even sweeter treat! Diane continues to experiment and share recipes for savory recipes to spice up soups, pork chops and in Asian dishes. Always willing to share ideas with customers and friends for canning and preserves, watch for her recipe posts.The Schroeders are always coming up with inventive recipes and products that are created from the mountain up from which the trees grow. Each apple season, The Schroeders invite locals and visitors outside of their area to come visit Chestnut Hill Ranch for their annual “You-Pick.”
“I like the personal attention with my customers – working full time, the ‘You-Pick’ is a better option,” says Diane. The Schroeder Family already has a variety of baked goods, ACV, Diane’s uniquely crafted Apple Syrup and will have Chestnut Hill Ranch bags for customers while picking. See you at Chestnut Hill Ranch, a perfect family day! For more info on this topic or to schedule an interview Please Contact UBO Entertainment Publicist-At-Large Aaris A. Schroeder 916-905-5801 | Email: [email protected]
Phone (916) 905-5801 UBO ENT Promotes Independent Artists Since 2001
Chestnut Hill Ranch, Founded in 1989 in Georgetown, CA | Annual You-Pick Sept-Nov
7390 Chestnut Hill Road, Georgetown, CA 95634 | Hours Mon-Sat 8 am-4 pm
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