Sunday 15 September 2013

Cider Pressing

We got Matt's family a cider press for Christmas last year, and while John and Nessa were here visiting, Dad and Mom invited us over for the first  pressing of the season.


Here is the press ready to be filled.


The apples had to be cut up and then ground before we could put them in the press. After they were ground up, they would go down a trough that was set up right under the grinder, and into the press. In the picture above Dad and Charity are cutting up the apples, John is turning the grinder, and Matt is scooping the ground apples down the trough. Quite a neat system don't you think?




We all took turns cutting up the apples and grinding them.....





....and we all took turns at holding the babies. (The blur on John's lap is Carlie Jane jumping up and down).


The press all full and ready to go.
The bowl under the spout of the press was almost full of juice from the ground up apples before we even started pressing.



Matt, John, and Dad all took turns cranking the lever to press the apples. The cider soon began to flow out of the spout, and the bowl underneath it had to be emptied several times.



And here it is....the finished product. We moved into the dining room to try out the cider and snack on donuts.


Matt's Dad was the first to try out the cider. It was a little tart because the apples were still a little under ripe, but it tasted very much like cider and not just apple juice.


We all enjoyed a sip of cider, some preferring cold cider and some preferring it warmed up, and declared the evening a success. Thank you so much for inviting us over, Dad and Mom, it was fun!

1 comment:

Carol Baker said...

Got a glimpse of you and baby.Looks like fun.Love Ma