Apple Cider Pressing 2014

One of our families favorite activities in the fall is pressing apple cider!  We have several apple trees, all different varieties.  This year our two heaviest bearing trees were our Gala and Honey Crisp trees.  Honey Crisp is one of my favorite apples!  So sweet!   Cider seems to taste best if it comes from a mixed variety of apples so in this small batch we used from the Gala, Honey Crisp, and a few Jonathan's.  It was perfect!   

We only took time to press 7 1/2 gallons on this particular day but we plan to have at least one more cider pressing day this fall.  I usually just fill plastic jugs and freeze them to use later, though once in a while I'll water bath can some of it in quarts.

Here are a few pictures from our little family day!

Here are our amazing apple washers!  They washed a few bushel of apples.

They did end up pretty wet themselves.

Once the apples are washed we cut them into 1/4th or 8th's depending on how large the apple is.

Some of us have more fun than others at this! 

Did you know if you cut an apple from side to side rather than from top to bottom you get a pretty star "flower" like this?  You'd know that if you were in Mrs. Murray's 1st grade class!

The cut apples are then dropped into a grinder to make a mash of apples.

Dave built this press himself.   The mash is put into a bag and then pressed in the top bucket.  Cider runs out of the holes and into the pan that directs it into another bucket.

We may have had another gallon of cider to save but these boys loved drinking it right as it was pressed!   They sure are cute helpers.

Wes started out in shorts and a t-shirt but finally agreed it was cold enough to dress warmer.  He did leave the shorts on though and no socks or shoes.   But the cider is worth it!

This has become such a fun fall tradition.  It is even more fun when we invite neighbors and friends for a day of cider pressing and visiting!