I was happy to see an apple orchard, sadly all those apples are fake! My friend was driving me to and from Srinagar to Pahalgam and back. I was happy to see apple orchards on the way, with luscious, red apples on them. We made a stop next to one of the orchards- the fresh apple sign and the roll up sign advertising apple preserves tempted us even more. But horror upon horrors, the persons in charge informed us that the apples were fake, made from plastic, and put there just to attract tourists to a restaurant inside the orchard. This is April, and as it was not apple fruiting season, they had to resort to this fakery to attract customers. Back on my 1979 visit to Kashmir, I remember having stopped at an apple orchard and my late dad (bless his soul) also posing with one of the fruits on the tree. The best time to visit Kashmir for apples is the month of September. If you want to pick the fresh apples directly from the orchards and want to taste the fresh and juicy apples of Kashmir, then the period from mid-August to late September is best time to visit apple orchards in Kashmir. My friend has an apple orchard near his residence, I requested him to send me pictures of real apples when his trees are bearing fruit. (Pahalgam, Kashmir, India, Apr/ May 2024)
