Dining Guide

Donna June 14, 2023

dining guide The Farmhouse District - Delicious Hot Food & Refreshments Here on our Farm We offer snacks, hot food, and freshly brewed coffees right here on our farm. Find all this and more at The Farmhouse District. The Farmhouse District includes The Ripe Tomato, The Hen House, and the Coffee Haus. So grab a snack,… Read More »

dining guide

The Farmhouse District – Delicious Hot Food & Refreshments Here on our Farm

We offer snacks, hot food, and freshly brewed coffees right here on our farm. Find all this and more at The Farmhouse District. The Farmhouse District includes The Ripe Tomato, The Hen House, and the Coffee Haus. So grab a snack, sit at one of our picnic tables and take in the relaxed farm atmosphere! Please visit our Hours of Operation page for specific times of availability.

The Hen House

The Hen House offers a variety of delicious snacks and hot meals to energize you while you’re enjoying your day at the farm. Our menu includes classics like hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries but also veggie burgers, empanadas, and more!

The Ripe Tomato

Our newest food truck, The Ripe Tomato, offers a variety of personal pizzas made with our own Alstede Fresh tomato sauce!
AVAILABLE WEEKENDS ONLY!

The Coffee Haus

The Coffee Haus offers a variety of beverages including coffee, latte, espresso, tea, soda and more!

Roasted Corn Station

When our delicious Alstede Fresh sweet corn is in season, we also offer roasted corn on the cob with a variety of tasty seasonings! Yum!
AVAILABLE WEEKENDS ONLY!

Ice Cream Stand

We make our own ice cream! We also incorporate seasonal flavors using Alstede Fresh produce like strawberries, blueberries, peaches and more. Be sure to visit our ice cream stand while you’re here!

Hard Cider Garden

Ironbound Farms of Asbury, New Jersey, will be here weekends at the farm serving Ironbound beverages—hard ciders, hard seltzers, wine, specialty Pét-nats, canned cocktails, and more at the Ironbound Hard Cider Garden.

Cider Mill

admin August 22, 2018

cider mill Alstede Farms Cider Mill Alstede farms cider mill Our cider is pressed right here in the cider mill with our own apples. Get a peek at the various stages of pressing apple cider. Group tours to the cider mill will open as guidelines permit. Alstede Farms' Own Local Apple Cider Apples Being Sent… Read More »

cider mill

Alstede Farms Cider Mill

Alstede farms cider mill

Our cider is pressed right here in the cider mill with our own apples. Get a peek at the various stages of pressing apple cider.

Group tours to the cider mill will open as guidelines permit.

Alstede Farms’ Own Local Apple Cider

Apples Being Sent Up to the Grinder

Our own cider mill is a unique operation here at Alstede Farms! We create our delicious fresh tasting local apple cider right here on our farm. We start the process with a variety of our own local fresh picked apples. We use different apple varieties to develop a complex flavor in our cider – not too tart and not too sweet. The apples are graded, inspected, washed, and sent up a conveyer to a grinder that makes an “apple mash.” The mash is then pressed by our rack and cloth press to squeeze out that tasty golden liquid. From there the cider is put in bulk storage at 38°F to keep it fresh. Before bottling, the cider is passed by an Ultra Violet (UV) light (also called cold pasteurization) to remove any bacteria which creates a healthier product with extended shelf life.

Finally, the cider is bottled right here on our farm in the cider mill. We offer gallon, half gallon, and pint sized bottles. Our cider is pressed weekly from September through the end of our harvest season. Check our hours of operations page to see when public tours are available. We press anywhere from 200 – 500 gallons at each pressing. Cider mill tours are available as guidelines permit. Please inquire if interested.

The entire cider making process on our farm is another example of our dedication to sustainable practices that protect our environment and enhance the natural resources on our farm. The apples that are used to make the cider are comprised of off grade, drops, and consumer rejected apples which are fit in every way…but just don’t look as pretty as perfect ones. If not used for cider they would otherwise be wasted. Further, all of the rinse water from the cider making process is collected in a large storage tank and then re-utilized for irrigation on the farm. In addition, apples that don’t make the grade to be included in the cider are fed to our livestock while the apple pumice that remains after pressing is used to add organic matter to our production fields. Our consistent goal is to eliminate all food waste on our farm and our apple cider mill is but one example of how we are achieving that goal.

Our own delicious local apple cider is exclusively available at our Chester farm store, our farm stands, in our CSA club, or at any of our farmers markets located in northern NJ.

visit our hours of operation page for availability of cider mill tours. Get a peek at the various stages of pressing apple cider.

The Hen House Food Concession

admin July 13, 2018

the hen house For your convenience, the Hen House offers a variety of delicious snacks and hot meals to energize you while you’re enjoying your day at the farm. Our menu includes classics like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and fries along with a tasty selection of other options. Enjoy a relaxing snack or meal… Read More »

the hen house

For your convenience, the Hen House offers a variety of delicious snacks and hot meals to energize you while you’re enjoying your day at the farm. Our menu includes classics like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and fries along with a tasty selection of other options. Enjoy a relaxing snack or meal at one of our picnic tables while taking in the sights and sounds of the farm. The Hen House and seating areas are located outside near the farm store.

Visit the Hen House

The Hen House is open when children’s activities are available and is located nearby. Choose from our tasty menu selection and enjoy a quick snack, beverages, or a sit down meal.

The Hen House is open during children’s activities and during special evening events. Please see our hours of operation page for more details.

Leaf Recycling

admin July 13, 2018

leaf recycling Alstede Farms in an officially licensed leaf mulch facility certified by the New Jersey DEP. The incorporation of organic matter into farm soils is an essential part of Sustainable and Certified Organic production methods. Leaves are an important source of this organic matter. Utilizing local leaves for mulching is great for our environment.… Read More »

leaf recycling

Alstede Farms in an officially licensed leaf mulch facility certified by the New Jersey DEP. The incorporation of organic matter into farm soils is an essential part of Sustainable and Certified Organic production methods. Leaves are an important source of this organic matter. Utilizing local leaves for mulching is great for our environment. It is an important component of reducing carbon foot prints since the leaves stay close to home and it helps to prevent the wasteful use of landfills.

Alstede Farms accepts leaves by the truck load throughout the year from Municipalities, landscape contractors, and homeowners. The leaves must be free of debris, stones, sticks, and especially trash. They must be brought bulk to the farm in a dump truck. They cannot be in any type of bags or boxes. New leaf mulching customers must make arrangements in advance prior to bringing any leaves. Leaves are welcome every day of the week. A nominal tipping fee is required to defray the costs of licensing and spreading.

Call and speak to Kurt Alstede for more details. Phone: (908) 258-6245

Visit the Farm

admin July 12, 2018

visit the farm A visit to our farm is always a fresh discovery, whether visiting online or in person. We invite you to explore all that our family farm has to offer from picking your own fruits and vegetables, live entertainment, children's activities, visiting friendly farm animals or climbing our giant hay pyramid. We feature… Read More »

visit the farm

A visit to our farm is always a fresh discovery, whether visiting online or in person. We invite you to explore all that our family farm has to offer from picking your own fruits and vegetables, live entertainment, children’s activities, visiting friendly farm animals or climbing our giant hay pyramid. We feature a charming farm store, homemade ice cream and much more. There is something wonderful for everyone and we invite you to make a fresh discovery today.

Alstede Farms is a great place to host your special event - available all year long. Click here to learn more...

Apple

admin March 14, 2018

apples Alstede Farms opens our fields for you and your family to pick the very freshest apples! Apples, apples, apples! Late summer and early fall brings one of the healthiest and most enjoyed fruits - apples. With over 50 different varieties, we have an apple flavor and profile to please everyone. Maybe you would prefer… Read More »

apples

Alstede Farms opens our fields for you and your family to pick the very freshest apples!

Apples, apples, apples! Late summer and early fall brings one of the healthiest and most enjoyed fruits – apples. With over 50 different varieties, we have an apple flavor and profile to please everyone. Maybe you would prefer sweet mild Galas over a sharp tart Granny Smith, a zesty Winesap over a juicy McIntosh, please check below the approximate ripening schedule for each apple variety. Fall is a great time to visit the farm and pick apples.

Visit our “what can I pick today” page to see if this crop is currently available for picking.

Please Note: These dates are approximations – Please call to confirm availability.

Name	Description	Typical Ripen Dates
Lodi	An attractive yellow early-season apple with a sharp flavor, best used for cooking.	7/31
Pristine	Beautiful lemon-yellow apple with a perfect finish. This high-quality apple is very productive and is a good keeper for an early apple.	8/5
Red Free	Medium-size, glossy fruit with bright red color and smooth, waxy skin. Light flesh is crisp and juicy.	8/5
Ginger Gold	One of the earliest apple varieties to ripen, the fruit is large, conical and starts out a very pale green, and ripens to a soft yellow with a slightly waxy appearance. The flesh, of a cream color, resists browning more than most varieties. The flavor is mild but with a tart finish. Excellent for eating out of hand and makes excellent apple pies.	8/10
Paula Red	This apple has a slight tartness with an enjoyable flavor with a bit of pear taste in it. The skin is on the tough side and they are soft fleshed. Not a crisp apple but the flavor is worth it.	8/10
Zestar	Early season apple with a good crisp sweet-tart flavor.	8/15
Molly’s Delicious	A very good to excellent early ripening apple. Fruits are large to very large, conical in shape with a pinkish red color. Has an exceptionally pleasing aftertaste. This apple can be maintained in storage for at least 10 weeks under refrigeration.	8/20
Sansa	Essentially this apple is an early-ripening Gala. It inherits Gala’s inherent sweetness. But with more acidity, as might be expected given its earlier ripening season.	8/20
Rambo	This apple is the season’s first good cooking apple whose slices hold up great in pies. It’s firm enough with good background flavor for baking and some think makes the best applesauce of them all.	8/25
Gala	One of the most widely-grown apple varieties, with a sweet pleasant flavor, and good keeping qualities.	8/26
Marshall macintosh	A crisp, red apple with bright, white flesh and a refreshing, sweet flavor.	9/5
Daybreak Fuji	Like Fuji but harvests six weeks earlier. Developed in Japan, but an all-American cross of Red Delicious and Ralls Janet. A very attractive modern apple, crisp, sweet-flavored, and keeps well.	9/10
Honeycrisp	This is a crisp, predominantly sweet, modern variety and is one of the most cold-hardy of apple varieties.	9/10
Pioneer MacIntosh	A mid-season apple, ripening just after Rogers Red Mcintosh. Fruit quality and size are excellent. Flesh is white and firmer than other Mac strains. Fruit colors to a full 90% bright red. Highest quality Mcintosh suitable for CA storage.	9/12
Cortland	A macintosh offspring, with all the usual characteristics, including the sweet vinous flavor.	9/15
Liberty	A cross of Macoun and an experimental apple variety, it is a deep red apple with great eating and baking qualities. The fruit is medium to large with rich yellow skin overlaid with dark red stripes and splashes. The pale-yellow flesh is crisp, tender, juicy, and quite flavorful. Ripens in October and improves in flavor over a couple of months of storage	9/17
Macoun	Dessert-type apple exhibiting similar characteristics to Mcintosh. Macoun is recognized in the Northeast for its high quality. Flesh is white, firm and juicy. It has been regarded to be the finest eating apple in the world.	9/17
Macoun Lite Free	Dessert-type apple exhibiting similar characteristics to Mcintosh. Macoun is recognized in the Northeast for its high quality. Flesh is white, firm and juicy. It has been regarded to be the finest eating apple in the world.	9/17
Crimson Topaz	A dessert apple, the fruit is medium in size, crisp and juicy with good flavor.	9/18
Red Delicious	Red Delicious apples are an American classic with mildly sweet flavors and only a few notes of acidity	9/20
Fuji	Developed in Japan, an all-American cross of Red Delicious and Ralls Janet. A very attractive modern apple, crisp, sweet-flavored, and keeps well.	9/20
Jonagold	A very popular variety, with a good flavor. It inherits many of the good qualities of its parents Jonathan and Golden Delicious.	9/20
Acey MacIntosh	Spartan Apples are an early cross of Macintosh and Orange Pippin. They are perfect for cooking or eating and have the distinct crispness of the Macintosh and the sweetness and juiciness of the Pippins. The skin color is red to deep crimson, and they are smaller in size. Keep in the fridge for best freshness. These apples also go by the name Acey Mac.	9/20
Golden Delicious	A large, yellowish-green skinned apple, very sweet to the taste. It is a favorite for salads, applesauce, and apple butter.	9/24
Super Chief Delicious	One of the best red sports of Red Delicious. Starts out as a stripe and fills into a solid red. Taste is sweet, juicy, aromatic and very delicious with hardly any acidity.	9/25
Morning Mist Fuji	An early ripening Fuji. A cross of Red Delicious and Ralls Janet. A very attractive modern apple, crisp, sweet-flavored, and keeps well.	9/25
Jonamac	Medium size, firm fruit with 90% dark red color over a greenish background. Flesh firm, crisp, high quality with flavor like Mcintosh.	9/26
Empire	One of the best Mcintosh-style apples, with a good sweet vinous flavor.	9/28
Ace Red Delicious	A variety of Red Delicious — America’s favorite red apple. This apple is shiny dark red or striped reddish-yellow skin and is tender, crisp, juicy, and has a mild flavor for fresh eating.	10/1
Fortune	A very good North American eating apple with a “spicy” flavor. Fruit large, with an attractive color. Flesh yellow.	10/1
Hampshire macintosh	Mcintosh apples are a mildly tart fruit has a soft texture when cooked. The flavor is generally sweet with refreshing acidity and a hint of wine – often referred to as “vinous”. You get the most flavor when it is immediately picked from the tree. However, they store well and can retain most of their flavor for a long time.	10/1
MacIntosh	Mcintosh apples are a mildly tart fruit has a soft texture when cooked. The flavor is generally sweet with refreshing acidity and a hint of wine – often referred to as “vinous”. You get the most flavor when it is immediately picked from the tree. However, they store well and can retain most of their flavor for a long time.	10/1
Ida Red	Sweetly tart, juicy with firm pale yellow-green flesh, sometimes tinted rosy pink. Excellent for sauce, cooking, baking, and pies. Good for eating, salads, and freezing.	10/4
Shizuka	Large, yellow with a red-orange blush. Sweeter with less acid than Mutsu, but excellent. Buttery, strong fruity flavors, almost tropical. Some type of pineapple essence.	10/4
Lady	Very distinctive in both flavor and color, this apple has an exceptionally sweet to tart taste with a firm and juicy flesh. Its skin is yellow, covered with a red to pink blush. Its creamy white flesh is highly crisp and resistant to browning when sliced.	10/6
Crimson Crisp	Small to medium. Very bright mid-range red over yellow. Extremely crisp. Very good, rich flavor. Sweet/sharp flavor, spicy	10/9
Cameo	A modern sweet variety, reminiscent of Red Delicious.	10/10
Mutsu	A cross between Yellow Delicious and Indo. Fruit is very large, firm and juicy with excellent dessert and processing qualities. A versatile dual-purpose apple, sharp but still pleasant to eat fresh. Also known as Crispin.	10/14
Suncrisp	Good looking yellow apple with a 0-40% orange-red blush. Flavor is sweet yet mildly subacid, said to be intense. Cream colored flesh, not prone to browning. Fruit can be stored up to 6 months in cold storage.	10/16
Astec Fuji	Reddest blush Fuji sport on the market and consistently colors to full red. Fruit is juicy, sweet and crisp.	10/20
Rome Beauty	An extremely attractive and productive red cooking apple. The Rome apple is crunchy enough for satisfying eating and not too sweet. This also makes it a solid apple for baking; the pieces hold their shape well and bake up nicely.	10/20
Stayman	An old American dual-purpose apple variety, popular in Virginia. Descended from Winesap and in most respects an even better apple.	10/20
Enterprise	A modern American late-season disease-resistant apple with a sharp flavor and good keeping qualities.	10/24
Winesap	Often known as Virginia Winesap, a tart small apple, and like many US heirloom varieties, keeps well in store.	10/24
Granny Smith	Granny Smith apples have a bright green skin that is often speckled with faint white lenticels (spots). Medium to large and round in shape, they are a firm and juicy apple with thick skin. Their flesh is bright white and crisp in texture with a tart, acidic, yet subtly sweet flavor.	11/8
Gold Rush	Best known for its remarkable keeping qualities (10-11 months) and sweet crisp flavor. Goldrush resists oxidation when cut, making a very yellow sauce or firm crisp slices for baking.	11/10
Pink Lady	The fruit is medium to large, crisp with a sweet-tart flavor and has a long storage life. It develops full flavor after four weeks in storage.	11/14