There are many signs that signify the transition to autumn in New Hampshire.
The changing colors in the leaves, brisk temperatures to start the day and ripened apples just waiting to be picked. And from those fruit-bearing trees comes one of the tastier fall treats – apple cider doughnuts.
At Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard in Mason, it’s hard to keep up with the demand. They started making doughnuts three years ago and every weekend during the fall people line up outside their converted ice cream trailer for the freshly made doughnuts.
The process is relatively simple. They start with a dry mix, add in apple cider made from their apples (pressed by another orchard in Massachusetts), and a few secret spices.
Made in four-pound batches, the mix is then placed in a hopper above the Donut Robot. The conveyer style fryer will make about 25 to 30 dozen an hour, with each donut taking about 130 seconds at 375 degrees. The doughnuts are automatically flipped in the middle to give an even cook to both sides.
“On a busy fall weekend, we’ll make anywhere between 300 and 500 dozen,” said owner Tim Anderson
Windy Hill uses vegetable shortening “specially formulated for doughnuts,” Anderson said.
The addition of the doughnuts was done to give customers another reason to stop by the orchard after they’ve done their yearly apple picking.
“It brings people back week after week,” Anderson said.
Windy Hill is open through Oct. 31, so if you haven’t tried one of their apple cider doughnuts yet, time is running out.