10.22.2014

apples, apples ( and a homemade cider press)



we went to farm school last Saturday, early evening.  it was cold and windy.  we came with buckets and a ladder and a borrowed apple picker, there to glean apples for cider and some for snacking and such as well.  (dried apples, chutney, rosemary-apple jam... we aren't huge on applesauce, really)




we left with four five gallon buckets, a bushel basket, a quarter bushel basket, and two plastic grocery bags full of the delicious red orbs.

as we left, the turkeys were flying up to roost atop one of the hoop houses.  they are such curious and interesting birds, these turkeys.



(especially the three-headed ones)

back at home, a day or two later, it was cider time.  Mike had fashioned a cider press essentially by building a frame and bolting a car jack to it.  there was a milk crate that we filled with a couple layers of boards and then strainer bags filled with pre-chopped apples, more boards, and so on.  a multi-layer chopped apple sandwich, if you will.  that sat on top of an upside-down rubbermaid bin lid with a hole drilled into it for the cider to flow through.


two/thirds of our team in action~





to be sure, there was much tasting.  very much.





and the pressed pulp was a hearty and sweet treat for the chickens.





five gallons of cider was heated lightly and mixed with yeast in the fermenting bucket, and is now on it's way (fingers crossed) to being delicious hard cider.  there was another three gallons bottled for the fridge.  thinking we'll pop some of that into the freezer.


as one would hope for it to be while one is doing something such as making homemade apple cider, it was a glorious fall day.   I looked up, and this:


I looked down, and this:



without a doubt, one of the sweetest of days.


22 comments:

  1. Wow, impressive you make a great team wonderful memories in the making, you will be able to look back when you are drinking the wonderful nectar.

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    1. it really was fun, and we were all able to play a part in the making (and drinking of course) of the cider!

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  2. Love that farm. Your homemade apple press is much more fun than our juicer. Have made lots of apple juice (think this is what you mean by cider?). here cider is the alcoholic trype, which I must definitely look into making. Will the yeasty stiff end up alcoholic?

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    1. it is a really sweet little place. yes, the stuff we added yeast to and put in the fermenting bucket will be five gallons of (hopefully very delicious) hard cider. essentially the cider is just the fresh pressed but not filtered or strained juice. here, typically, the darker stuff is considered cider and the more clear/filtered stuff is considered juice.

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  3. Thanks for sharing! Those apples are gorgeous, and I admire the homemade press. You must have had extra "Dilly Bean" lids from earlier this year....made me smile! That hard cider sounds delish.

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    1. I'm hoping it comes out tasting delicious!
      well, the lids were from dilly beans we've already eaten and re-used the lids from. we didn't can any of the cider, but are freezing it instead (after refilling the glass jars to about 2/3 full so they don't bust).

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  4. fun fun fun, I love your daughter two handing that sip of pressed cider. I am hoping to get to a pumpkin festival soon, before it ends just to take in the sights and sounds.

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    1. oh she is not playing around when it comes to her tasty treats!
      I think we may head over to one of the local farms tomorrow for the whole pumpkin patch/corn maze thing.... to do exactly that, take in the sights and sounds :)

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  5. I am so envious Amanda, I really would love to go apple picking. Your Mike reminds me of My Mike, both really blessed with knowing how to make things. I have a cast iron press here, maybe I should just bring it next year and pay you a visit ;)

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  6. That looks so good, beautiful pictures too.

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  7. The best drink ever on a cold fall day is hot spiced cider. Period. Love the photos!

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  8. Super impressed by the homemade press. Did you all grind your apples in a food processor first? I bet the cider was delicious!

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    1. yes we did- I think we were able to get a lot more juice that way. it is definitely tasty!

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  9. Can I just say that I miss you guys?! It's been a year since our trek to NC and my heartstrings are feeling the tug of time gone by! XO, Nichole

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    1. yes, you may say that and I will smile big and get warm fuzzies happily knowing that the feeling is mutual ;)

      xoxo

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  10. brilliant!! what a wonderful idea! i love it! we will be pressing soon... we keep putting it off because i keep picking more apples and saucing the ones that are ready. oh yes... i wanted to tell you for the future (since this will obviously become a tradition yes?) the cider turns out even better if you let the apples sit for about two weeks after they are picked... i believe it's called musting... but they change color and develop a greasy layer on the outside and that is when you know they are ready :) i mean... obviously they are good right off the tree as well... especially picked this late... but i have noticed a difference with the musting... i read about it in our hard cider book... for the future you know :)

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    1. hmmmm.... musting. sounds like a good bet, thanks! we've got fingers crossed the cider comes out well!

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  11. Those are some seriously beautiful apples! Please tell us more about the apple press. I want to DIY one.

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    1. I'm just now seeing this~ Mike built it by bolting a car jack to a simple frame and using the jack to press the apples. we chopped them in a food processor first, then placed them in mesh bags in between wooden boards- kind of sandwiched together, all in a milk crate. then the whole shebang got pressed and we caught it in a bucket! voila!

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~