The smell of autumn spices, the sweet taste of apple, and the cinnamon sugar crunch that gives way to a soft cake interior that melts in your mouth. That’s the magical experience of biting into an apple cider donut from Cider Hill Farm.
Cider Hill Farm is a three-generation farm founded by Ed and Eleanor Cook in Amesbury in 1978. Today, the farm offers apple and seasonal fruit picking, a seasonal farm store, a calendar of festivals and activities, sweet and hard cider, and, of course, apple cider donuts.
The farm’s apple-picking season begins in August. With over five orchards and 60 varieties of apples, you are sure to find your favorite for eating, baking, or even ones that are used for the farm’s sweet and hard cider. You’ll also find an outdoor pumpkin stand in the fall where you can pick from pumpkins, specialty pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and bales of hay. During the fall season, throughout September and October, you can go on a hayride that brings you right to the apple orchards; rides are free with the purchase of any picking container or $5 per person (children 2 and under ride for free).
Explore Cider Hill Farm’s other pick-your-own options throughout the year, like tulips, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and more.
The famous Cider Hill apple cider donuts are infused with flavors of apple and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, with a soft, cake-like crumb and crisp exterior, and are dusted with cinnamon sugar. On fall weekends, the donut machines run nonstop from 6 am to 7 pm, and you can watch the farm team make them fresh in the farm store.
Discover a variety of baked goods, gifts, and specialty items at the Cider Hill Farm Store, open seven days a week from 8 am to 6 pm, from April through mid-December. Find local produce, dairy products, sweet and hard cider, pies, candy, and even pumpkin whoopie pies.
At Cider Hill Farm, you’ll find a wide variety of events, from live music to pop-up food trucks, workshops, and seasonal festivals. It’s also an excellent place for kids, as the farm features large play areas, including sandboxes, a trike yard, and horse swings.
Get a taste of fall and head to Cider Hill Fall, where you can go apple-picking while feasting on delicious apple cider donuts.
Smolak Farms
315 South Bradford Street, Andover, MA 01845
Russell Orchards
143 Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA 01938
Appleton Farms
219 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938
Enriched wheat flour, sugar, soybean oil, flour, apple cider, milk products, salt, egg yolk, toasted wheat and spices. Nut oils are not used in the batter or frying; however, the flour is produced in a facility where various types of peanuts, nuts or tree nuts are used. *We are NOT a nut free facility*
This recipe has been tested and featured by Weekends with Yankee.
Now that you’ve read the prologue, it’s time to write your North of Boston story. From lighthouses and pirate lore to cider donuts and vibrant sunsets worth capturing, download the free guide and start planning your visit to North of Boston today.
