Inset: Don and Carol Hampton with new owner Mike Morgan
make it
awesome apple pie from Hampton's Hilltop Orchard
Fifteen years ago, Donald and Carol Hampton opened Hampton’s Hilltop Orchard in Higbee as a way to stay busy after retiring. Today, this after-retirement hobby boasts 3 acres and 356 semi-dwarf apple trees, and the Hampton’s daughter, Julie, and her husband, Mike, have taken the reins. According to Mike Morgan, apple season starts the last week of August and ends between Halloween and Thanksgiving. “We pick the first apples in August, so we make sure to withdraw all chemicals from the orchard at least 30 days before we start picking,” he says. Once the apples are harvested, the Morgans sell them at the Columbia Farmers Market, where they have been vendors since they purchased the farm from Julie’s parents in 2007. Donald and Carol Hampton began doing business with the market in 2006, the first year the orchard was mature enough to yield a profitable crop. Hampton’s Hilltop Orchard currently offers Gala, Jonathan, Fuji, Ultragold, Suncrisp and Zestar apples. “The farmers market is pretty much the sole outlet for our apples,” Morgan says. “We take between 300 and 700 pounds of apples each weekend, depending on the varieties that we have available, and we’re disappointed if we don’t sell out.”
Although the market is a necessity for the orchard, it also plays an important role in the lives of Columbia consumers. Morgan says he’s heard people vow to give up grocery store apples for good after trying an apple from the market. “I know that a lot of farmers at the market pick their produce week to week, so you’re not buying something that was put in cold storage last winter,” Morgan says. “That head of lettuce, that watermelon or that peach you’re eating was probably picked in the last few days.” For anyone who wants to take a more hands-on approach to buying locally produced apples, Hampton’s Hilltop Orchard offers “Pick Your Own” appointments where customers can come to the orchard and pick the apples they buy. You can hop on the wagon attached to the tractor and be driven to the exact variety of apple you want to pick. Once you’ve made your selections, you can buy the apples for 99 cents a pound. Hampton’s Hilltop Orchard is committed to giving Columbians a better choice for local foods. “Kids who normally won’t eat fruits and veggies will eat them from the market because of the flavor,” Morgan says. “I think that the mission of the farmers market is just to produce fresh and healthy food.”
To learn more, visit www.hamptonshilltoporchard.com or call 660-456-7261.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll one pie crust onto a work surface. Roll out slightly with rolling pin to 12 inches in diameter. Fit into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Prick bottom of crust and then refrigerate while making filling. In a small bowl, blend ½ cup sugar, the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Set aside. Cut apples into ½-inch pieces. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, lemon juice and sugar mixture to skillet. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until pan juices thicken. Cool on a rack for 25 minutes. Pour cooled apples into the prepared pie crust. Unroll second pie crust and roll slightly to a 12-inch diameter. Cut a 1-inch slit in center of dough and transfer dough to pie, centering over the filling. Crimp edge together and flute, if desired. Brush pie with egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. You can sprinkle a little cinnamon on top as well. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
apples: thinkstockphotos.com; photo courtesy of hampton’s hilltop orchard
Hampton's Hilltop Orchard ➽
1 package refrigerated piecrusts ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch of ground cloves 2 tablespoons sweet butter 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored 2 pounds Fuji apples, peeled and cored 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water