Apples and Cider and Bees, Oh My

I’m still tired.

Saturday we rented the cider press and got to work making cider. Last year went quickly and was easy peezy so why wouldn’t this year be just the same.

More apples, that’s why.

Please don’t misunderstand me. We worked hard and had fun in the process. But I did sleep a solid eight hours that night. And my hubby drew a bath for me before bed. Sigh, he is so wonderful.

This year we were joined by the Schultze family. Ok, so Glory was called into work, Jessie was spending time with a friend and Dean had to save lives and property (he is a firefighter) so really it was Jen and Bexen representing the Schultze family.

They brought their own apples to add to our apples so we now had a massive  tremendous  amount of apples.

Bexen was put to work right away doing the job that fit him best. Tossing the apples into the grinder.

I had a brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea to go ahead and can the cider as we made it. Ok, so it would have been brilliant had I thought of it earlier so the water in the canners would have already been boiling. But, alas, some times I’m a little late to the game.

We started by using the stove in the canning kitchen. It died. Apparently three burners going at the same time was just too much for it’s old self. Out came my favorite stove to cook on. Our camping stove.

Last year the cider making went quickly because that is all we did. Press the apples. I did all the canning afterward. Adding the canning to the whole process while it was going on made it a little busy but it was nice to really be done when we were done.

I’ll remind you of how it is all done. The apples get chopped into a bag inside an oak slatted barrel, we close up that bag and move it so it is under the screw press. Then you turn the screw press until you can no longer turn it. While you are turning it the cider from the apples flows out of the bag into a container for collection.

That last picture of the cider pouring into the container….it looks so nice and clean. That is how I know it is the beginning of the process. This was the point I thought “Hey, we should just can it as we go.”

Compare that last picture to this one.

See the yellow jackets? This was just the beginning. Eventually there were hundreds surrounding anything that had to do with cider making. They were on us, in the cider, drowning in the cider, in the canning room and even in the house. We almost made it to the end without getting stung. Then Michael was stung.

So many were drowning in the cider that we decided to strain the cider before pouring it into the pot to heat it for canning.

Along with cider there is the pulp. We had three wheel barrels like this. One went to the chickens, one to the goats and one to the compost.

When all was done we came away with 18 gallons of cider.

Some in quarts,

and some in half gallons.

It took about four hours in all. Then we all sat down to soup, bread and dessert.

I must say, I love utilizing what God has provided for us. But, it was much more fun with Jen and Bexen working right along side of us.

I hope you are enjoying Fall,
Karen