Boothby’s offers a unique orchard experience throughout the late summer and fall. An apple-picking afternoon is the perfect way to enjoy the company of family and friends, slowing down for just awhile to savor the senses and reconnect with our rural heritage.

Take a wagon ride to the lower orchard and pick your own bag of beauties. Enjoy warm cider, local cheeses and maybe some live music back at the farm stand. Take a walk through the vineyard. Set a spell in a porch rocker. Boothby’s Orchard and Winery is a memory-making machine.

Oh, but it’s the apples that on which we built our reputation. Without the finest fruit around, the rest of the operation couldn’t hold up.

Rob Boothby and his family have been the caretaking apple trees on their homestead since the 19th century. His background is in horticulture and dairy farming, and he has a degree in Animal Science from University of Maine.

In recent years, the operation has scaled back to offer the “best of the best;” a seven-acre pick-your-own orchard with over 3,000 trees, nurtured year-round with the utmost care.

Pruning trees on show shoes, removing upright limbs and dead branches, mending fences and minding responsible insect-control practices, Rob is in constant communication with the orchard, trees and crop.

The Boothbys’ tireless efforts result in absolutely delicious apples that draw fans from across Maine and New England. Check out our varieties and harvest schedule below.

Boothby’s Apple Varieties

We have a smattering of new apples you have never heard of, as well as a few of your favorite heirloom varieties. At Boothby’s we always encourage you to try something new and eat them all to ensure your favorite variety is spot on for your taste.

  • jonagold

    Paula Red (Mid-August through early September)

    Our earliest apple (formerly referred to as an early Mac) ready for picking in early August with a wonderfully tart taste and crisp texture for that first taste of fall. Well suited for applesauce.

  • mcintosh

    McIntosh (Early September through October)

    A New England tradition! The McIntosh has been popular since its discovery in 1811 because of its sweet tangy flavor and tender flesh. An all around good apple for eating, baking, sauce and pies.

  • cortland

    Cortland (Early/Mid September through October)

    White flesh, sweeter than a McIntosh. An excellent dessert apple and super in salads as it doesn’t brown very quickly. A local favorite.

  • honeycrisp

    Honey Crisp (Mid/Late September through October)

    The Honey Crisp is a new favorite and the pride of our orchard. It was developed by the University of Minnesota from a Macoun and Honeygold cross in 1991 and is fairly new to Maine. It is an exceptionally crisp and juicy apple that has been shown to store exceptionally well for many months in refrigerated conditions. An exceptional apple for eating right off the tree or in salads and in baked goods.

  • gala

    Gala (Late September)

    The Gala apple was introduced in the United States in the 1970s from New Zealand. It is a smaller apple noted for its great dessert characteristics. Good for eating and baking.

  • jonagold

    Jonagold (October)

    The Jonagold is a cross between a Golden Delicious and Jonathon. An excellent, late-season cooking or dessert apple, it carries the aroma of the Golden with the lively sweet-tart flavor of the Jonathan. An excellent culinary apple in salads or with strong cheeses.

  • macoun

    Macoun (Early to mid-October)

    It’s a great multipurpose apple, but also a truly spectacular fresh-off-the-tree eating apple. As the mother of McIntosh, it brings that well-known sweet-tart flavor but with a harder, crispier flesh. Its other parent is the Jersey Black, which contributes to the Macouns darker wine coloration.

  • northern-spy

    Northern Spy (late October)

    A crisp, tart, late-season offering. If you love tart and crunchy (think early Mac), you need to give this apple a try. It’s one of our favorites.

  • mutzu

    Mutzu, aka Crispin (October)

    Mutzus, originally from Japan, are crisp with a subtle spiciness and firm flesh. Great baking apples and wonderful for roasting in thick slices in savory dishes.

  • baldwin

    Baldwin (November)

    The Baldwin is a red, very late season apple. Originally a staple in orchards of New England for its ability to be exported via shipping vessels to Europe and elsewhere. A good hard, storing apple. Some joke that Baldwins are “about as fit to eat in November as they are in April when you throw them out”.

  • goldendelicious

    Golden Delicious (mid-October)

    If you have never had a fresh golden, it’s a must-sample apple right off the tree. It is characterized by a sweet, mild flavor and crisp, yellow flesh. Great for apple sauce.