The list of foods made with apples is virtually endless. Cobbler, pie, juice, candied apples — the list goes on and on.

Don’t miss your chance to try out some new apple recipes this fall. Fresh apples will be available for cheap at Magnolia United Methodist Church’s 24th annual AppleFest that will be held on Oct. 31.

“It’s our main fundraiser,” said Connie Schubert, co-coordinator of the event. Over the years, the event has grown from just a couple hundred bushels of apples to between 900 and 1,000 bushels, Schubert said.

One bushel is about 40 pounds of apples. The church pre-sells them in bushels, half-bushels or pecks, which weigh about 10 pounds.

“We bring them in the day before,” Schubert said of the apples. “We actually start unloading at 4:30 in the morning.”

Members of the church work hard to put this event on, but there are also people out in the community that don’t attend the church willing to help.

“We have people who call back in the first part of September,” she said of AppleFest inquiries. Since the beginning, the church has always gotten the apples from Dickie Brothers Orchard, Schubert said. Varieties available include Fuji, red delicious, golden delicious, Granny Smith, stayman, winesap and Rome apples.

“They range from very sweet to very tart,” Schubert said. Within the church’s AppleFest order packet is a chart that describes which apples are best for which types of foods. For example, red delicious apples are not recommended for applesauce, while Rome apples are recommended for baking.

For nearly the past decade, along with fresh apples, the church has been selling apple cider and apple butter. They order these from two separate businesses, both near the apple orchard. But what’s new this year is the ability to purchase a half-gallon of apple cider, rather than only by the gallon.

All of the AppleFest proceeds go towards church ministries, Schubert said. These ministries include their food pantry, the Coalition Against Poverty in Suffolk, Impact Suffolk, a camp for orphans in Romania, and more.

As the fest has grown over the years, one of its additions has been crafts, Schubert said. Members of the church work hard throughout the year to create crafts such as wreaths, bracelets and even fishing lures. These items are donated to the church to be sold for the profit of the church’s ministries, she said.

Being that next year is the church’s 25-year milestone, they have already begun making plans next year’s event. There will be some changes made, including the addition of cookbooks, Schubert said.

The event will be held at the church, located at 1764 Wilroy Road, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Apple orders must be placed ahead of time and received by Oct. 23.

During the event, customers may park and check out the crafts table or simply pick up their apples at the drive-through.

Contact the church by calling 538-8552 or visit magnoliaumc.net and print your order form.