Fruit Wine and Cider Donuts at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Growing up in Florida, apple picking is logistically impossible. It's one of the many reasons why I've made it a tradition to go each year since I've been living up north, along with the amazing views and resulting fresh-baked pies. This year, the orchard of choice was Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts, known more for the products sold in its outpost than for the myriad varieties of apples growing on its trees.
Russell Orchards is home of New England's best cider donuts.
Among its biggest claims is that Russell Orchards is home of New England's best cider donuts. Only when I saw how intensely dedicated they are to this special treat did I start taking the claim seriously: not only does Russell Orchards make all their donuts fresh throughout the day, but the dough is only pumped into the oil when customers are waiting for some piping hot sweets.
The batches are kept rather small, and the line moves quickly. It's a good thing, because the smell of frying apples in the air is completely intoxicating. In the end, it takes less than two minutes from the time the dough hits the oil to the time it's stashed in a paper bag for payment, and that's possibly Russell Orchard's most distinguishing factor.
But let's not forget about taste and texture. Sweet and subtly cider-y, fluffy with a crispy exterior, these are fine, fine creations. So much so that you most certainly will not be able to stop at one. Or two. Should I go on?
Well, Russell Orchards isn't only about cider donuts—in fact, one of their most unusual features is their production of fruit wines, which utilizes the whole array of fruits grown on the farm. Apparently, this tradition far outdates the production of normal grape wines in North America, and at Russell, wines are made from such crops as pears, cherries, dandelions, rhubarb, and peaches.
Some flavors are better than others. Strawberry wine was almost cloying in its sweetness, but when complemented with rhubarb, it's balanced into a lovely and far more complex blend that Russell Orchards considers the most popular flavor.
Peach tasted most like the fruit that goes into it, though the notable alcohol content (about 12 percent, same as most common varieties) is a constant reminder that this is wine—not juice. And ciders ranging from slightly sweet to dry to perry (a less common style made with bosc pears) feature clean, crisp flavors that make them equally worthy of a "Best in New England" title.
Russell Orchards
143 Argilla Road, Ipswich MA 01938 (map)
978-356-5366
russellorchardsma.com
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
11 Comments:
This past year, I moved to the desert Southwest from the Northeast. I had these donuts more than a couple of times before going gluten-free, and I can tell you, they are SUPERB. Delicious. Yummy. Outstanding.
They are one of the things I miss most about New England.
Brownie at 4:16PM on 10/21/09
How about making HARD CIDER donuts --- nowwww we're talkin' http://bit.ly/1VzTht!! Of course, it would be perfectly adequate to drink it, too.
sfinfgeld at 4:40PM on 10/21/09
I love Russell Orchards, and their cider donuts are very good. But Cider Hill Farm's in Amesbury are even better. Really.
NorthShoreDish.com at 4:41PM on 10/21/09
The best in all of New England? I dunno.. Atkins Farms makes some pretty magical dough rings.
Erin Zimmer at 5:19PM on 10/21/09
I'm not sure about New England, but Michigan has some amazing cider mill doughnuts at the Franklin Cider Mill.
alphazack at 7:41PM on 10/21/09
You're killing me here, Nikki! I finally have a pumpkin harvest to look forward to...in the Meatpacking District, thanks to Old Navy haha
theshah2002 at 8:18PM on 10/21/09
I'm with Erin on this one. Atkins Farms donuts are the best I've tasted!
yayfood at 10:02AM on 10/22/09
I've gotta third the Atkins Farms love. I went to Hampshire College, which is right near there, and AF's cider donuts were a frequent guilty pleasure.
maxcriden at 10:45AM on 10/22/09
ok, ok -- I haven't tried Atkins! But then again, it's others who've dubbed Russell the best of New England, and I can only vouch for the fact that these were downright delish. Anyone tried both? And does Atkins fry on the spot? That was a pretty special perk.
Nikki Goldstein at 10:48AM on 10/22/09
It beat saga any day.
yayfood at 10:51AM on 10/22/09
I live close to Atkins and have been there more times then I can count. Their doughnuts are very good but aren't nearly as fresh as Shelburne Farms in Stow, MA. I've had apple cider doughnuts from all over. Never from Russell Orchards though. Randall's Farm in Ludlow are very good too.
You'll find though that they all use the same basic recipe. The apple ciders generally all taste the same too.
stamandster at 12:14PM on 10/27/09