Out & About #668 | Apple Factory (COVID-19 Edition)

We ultimately could not forego the annual Apple Factory visit. Despite the worries surrounding staggering case counts in the northern parts of Peel, we proceeded with the tradition, vowing to dash in then dash out.

On an early Monday afternoon, both the roads and store interior proved relatively peaceful. We pulled into an asphalt lot that was, without a doubt, the least festive it's ever been in the past four plus years. From the entrance had the haystack and scarecrow display vanished. Even the Apple Jamboree had taken a "Social Distancing" break for the time being.

Only a handful of customers were spotted within the store, primarily stationed in the checkout line and separated by the length of shopping cart. Social distancing stickers were placed along the pie counter, though arrows had not been deployed to promote one-way movement.

Ticking off the items on the list, we maneuvered first to the produce section. Evaluating the apple varieties on display, a couple proceeded to enter our zone of safety and remain within it, oblivious to raised, furrowed eyebrows. Their constant presence persisted throughout our visit, seemingly pausing to poke at various items for the sake of dallying. Beyond backtracking their steps, the duo had navigated uncomfortably close to us at several instances. This lack of awareness and commonplace pandemic etiquette came across as shocking, especially as residents from a comparatively safer district of the region.

​We secured a 3L jug of Apple Cider, as per the norm. The Apple Factory's produce is atrociously pricey, however I insisted on some Cortland apples to take home. At $9.99 per bag, it was a reasonable fee to compensate the proposed social distancing apple-picking trip that never happened. And, as suspected, pie-making is the ultimate rationale for this splurge.

A slice of Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, 8-inch No-Sugar Apple Pie, and multi-coloured tube of Jamie's Cracked Corn accompanied our exit.​

​One of my largest gripes surrounding the slice is its obnoxious sweetness. Nonetheless, the purchase was warranted: Strawberry-Rhubarb is amongst the variations least likely to rear its head in my household, next to Pumpkin and last year's Pumpkin Pecan. The tacky filling could definitely be improved upon though. I had never questioned the content of air bubbles in my pie filling until this day; cornstarch had been the presumed stabilizer, but could ClearJel be the true culprit?

​No Sugar Apple Pie - offered only in 8-inch rounds - were obtained yet again. Despite its "sugar-less" declaration, the pie still proved sweet, even sweeter than the previous year's, should my memory serve correctly. Encased within a golden yet stiff crust were cinnamon-laced sliced applies, its air bubbles finer than that of the Strawberry-Rhubarb.

Excluded from this year's roundup of purchases was the 10-inch Pecan Pie, for the obvious reason that the two at home were far more delectable (and still in the consumption phase). Word has it that a perplexed "Why did you buy pie when yours is already better than theirs?" had been uttered upon unveiling our newly acquired stash of goodies back home.

And I'll gladly assume credit for it: My pie crust had indeed been flakier and tastier, and therefore superior. There, I said it.

Curiosity piqued by a certain promotional image, Jamie's Rainbow Kettle Corn had made its way to our cart, albeit with brief moments of hesitation. The colours were perhaps a tad misleading, for I was under the impression that its contents would conform to the same flavour profile. Much to my delight, the tube offered an addicting medley of sweet (caramel) and savoury (cheesy).
Pricing for some of the smaller packages were quite questionable at $3.49, though the pillow-sized parcel rang in at a reasonable $5.99.

Did I mention that these are incredible addicting?