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.....

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...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

Making Apple Cider, Part 2

“I heard a sound as of scraping tripe, / And putting apples wondrous ripe, / Into a cider- press's gripe.”

Robert Browning

Apple cider has always been a popular beverage, but let's face it; cider did not have to compete with the likes refreshing soft drinks, like colas. Never fear: these days, consumer demand for natural and organic food makes pure apple cider more popular than ever.

Today's post explains the first steps the cider mill took in processing our order.

We had too many apples for the large crate, but not enough to mess with filling another. The extra apples were stacked on top of the load to be transported to the cider making area.

 The bags and crates were hand-loaded into the conveyor.  

 Next, a hydraulic lift tilted the large crate to unload it. As the apples are being moved from the crate to the conveyor, a worker stands by to remove things like leaves or large stems.

Notice that the workers wear ear protection. The noise from the machines can get as loud as a rock concert! 

The apples are collected into a large metal cage, where a stream of water washes away any debris. Then the apples go into a massive chopper. 

At this point, the apples are "half way there" in their transformation from solid to liquid. Tomorrow's photos will show how it is done.

Marcheta *step-by-step

Bushels and Barrels of Fun

Yesterday we took about 30 bushels of apples to Meyer's Cider Mill in Huron County, Ohio, and came home with 88 full gallons and 51 half gallons. That's a lot of apples and a lot of cider! No, the cider was not put in wooden barrels, like the ones in the cider mill's yard, but in modern plastic jugs. Ah, plastic! Not as nostalgic as wooden barrels, but an easy and safe way to deliver the fresh, healthy liquid, so I am thankful for it.

Yesterday was a lot of work, for sure, but today is the busiest day of the week for me. I have to hustle around, sorting apples and loading them and the cider in my car to set up at today's NorthSide Farmers Market.

It's a great day for working outside. The cool air has crisped up a clear blue sky, which is a perfect backdrop for leaves that are just beginning to dress in their autumn colors. The breeze has a few sharp edges, but overall, it is cool, calm, and collected. Which is how I'd like to be able to describe myself, but it is no use. When I am working on any kind of deadline, I cannot relax until I know that I've got everything done. On market days, this usually means that about 5 minutes before the opening bell I am finally able to relax and enjoy the process of growing food for the people in my community :) 

Tomorrow I'll start posting photos that illustrate the step-by-step process of turning solid fruit into liquid refreshment. 

Marcheta *doing the hustle