Making Apple Cider, Part 3

“He Looked and smelt like Autumn's very brother, his face being sunburnt to wheat-colour, his eyes blue as corn-flowers, his sleeves and leggings dyed with fruit-stains, his hands clammy with the sweet juice of apples, his hat sprinkled with pips, and everywhere about him the sweet atmosphere of cider which at its first return each season has such an indescribable fascination for those who have been born and bred among the orchards.”

      Thomas Hardy, The Woodlanders

Part 3 

Finally, the apples are ready to be "pressed". In this installment, you'll see exactly how it is done and why it is called "pressing".

The apples have been washed and chopped into a pulp.  The next station has large bottomless trays which are lined with a thick heavy cotton. As the pulp is piped into the tray, Anthony Meyers moves the hose back and forth to fill the tray to brimming with the golden mash.

When a tray is full, Anthony folds the ends of the cloth over the pulp and adds another tray. When he has enough trays filled, they are moved to the pressing machine.

 2000 pounds of pressure force the deep amber juice from the apples. The juice is piped into a holding tank, where it is treated with UV light. This is our preferred method for assuring that e-coli and its buddies are killed without affecting the taste or quality of the cider.

After every drop possible has been pressed from a stack of trays, Anthony removes them from the press and dumps the pulp into a dumpster. This, again, is heavy work. The pulp is very dry and reminds me of clumps of sawdust. Unlike sawdust, the pulp is a powerhouse of nutrition. And like sawdust, it will not go to waste, there are other uses for it.....

Add caption

...such as dietary supplement for the Meyer's cattle. 

OK, the juice has been pressed from the apples and the cows are fed. Is it time to relax with a nice tall glass of fresh sweet cider or a mug of hot mulled cider? 

Nope.

Not quite yet.

Stay tuned.....

Marcheta * ready to relax