Apple cider today

[5030]

Yesterday I filled the bed of the Sidekick with apples from our 3 apple trees and I only picked the 'low hanging' fruit. Today we processed them and yielded 20 gallons of fresh cider.

Had just enough plastic jugs (distilled and spring water jugs). I put 9 gallons in the deep freeze, one in the fridge in the house, Jimmy, one of my helpers took 5 gallons and my other helper Tom took 5 gallons.

Very good cider, slightly tart. Not a worm in any of the apples but I'm beat from cranking the apple grinder all day. Next year there will be a motor on the grinder. getting too old to crank it all day.

Still have bushels of deer apples in the trees to pick. All Red Delicious and Jonathans.

My wife looked at me funny when I bought the cider mill 2 years ago, but she understands now. Why waste a good resource. We have the trees, might as well use the fruit for cider.

Had plenty of bees and yellow jackets keeping us company too.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yum, need to clean up my cider mill...

 

[fried1765]

Yesterday I filled the bed of the Sidekick with apples from our 3 apple trees and I only picked the 'low hanging' fruit. Today we processed them and yielded 20 gallons of fresh cider.

Had just enough plastic jugs (distilled and spring water jugs). I put 9 gallons in the deep freeze, one in the fridge in the house, Jimmy, one of my helpers took 5 gallons and my other helper Tom took 5 gallons.

Very good cider, slightly tart. Not a worm in any of the apples but I'm beat from cranking the apple grinder all day. Next year there will be a motor on the grinder. getting too old to crank it all day.

Still have bushels of deer apples in the trees to pick. All Red Delicious and Jonathans.

My wife looked at me funny when I bought the cider mill 2 years ago, but she understands now. Why waste a good resource. We have the trees, might as well use the fruit for cider.

Had plenty of bees and yellow jackets keeping us company too.

I wish I had the apples.
I have had my cider press for years.
I mix at least three apple varieties, and add a few pears to each batch (enhances the flavor).
I try to find a young teenager for the grinding.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Sounds good ! Do you make any hard cider ?

I've got trees and my Dad gave me his press about 15 years ago. The first year we made cider, we had so much even after giving it to friends and neighbors and freezing a bunch I ended up making 8 gallons of hard cider.
Now that's as much a thing as the sweet cider.

 

[oosik]

I just love fresh, homemade cider. I always drink too much. And WHAT it does to my digestive system - - wow!! Clean as a whistle.

 

[wheelbuilder]

I just love fresh, homemade cider. I always drink too much. And WHAT it does to my digestive system - - wow!! Clean as a whistle.

It is a self limiting thing. I get carried away the first day or 2 and have to lay off. Fresh is great !

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I like it to set a couple weeks.

 

[Working on Rust]

We are going to try to do the first pressing later this week or early next week.
I helped a friend making cider a few years ago and made a chopper and press the next winter. Of course the next year was a bad year for apples around here but last year was decent. This year looks like the apples are average or so.

 

[5030]

I bought the press at an auction, in excellent shape but has a really old and neat apple grinder on it (never seen one like it before).

It's all gear driven with 2 lower toothed drums rotating one way and a big upper drum rotating the opposite way with a flapper to force the apples in. All cast iron and has oil ports and a huge flywheel. Says 'Made in England' on the side castings and the drums are adjustable for how much they mash and shred. I use food grade oil in the bearings but I need to add a motor drive. At my age (70), it's a bear to crank that massive masher all day, which I did today. Has a large cast iron flywheel that helps but it's still 'armstrong' powered. Next year it will be General Electric powered.

 

[5030]

Sounds good ! Do you make any hard cider ?

I've got trees and my Dad gave me his press about 15 years ago. The first year we made cider, we had so much even after giving it to friends and neighbors and freezing a bunch I ended up making 8 gallons of hard cider.
Now that's as much a thing as the sweet cider.

Never have, din't know how really. Besides, I don't drink alcohol.