Homemade Apple Cider.

Grinder and Apples

Pulled Apart Press

Pressing Apples into Grinder

Crushing Apples

Making Cider,

Almost 30 Liters of Goodness!

What a glorious first weekend of Autumn.   Sunshine, coolness, and apple cider.  For over a year, talks and planning between my good friend Todd and I have led up to this day.  We gathered about 90 Lbs of apples from his tree and a vacant house down the road, and set to work grinding them up.  Pushing the apples in to the grinder with sticks, that by the end looked like a Rottweiler had its way with them!  Our original plan was to build the apple press, but Todd found one on Craigslist with a grinder for obscenely cheap.  It was really nice to have the professorial build of a solid press, as it left the pulp damn near dry.  The smell of the sweet cider and chopped apples was so strong all the wasps of the neighborhood must have been hanging out with us that afternoon.  Trying to avoid them and pick them out of the apple mash was a task in itself.   It really was a three person job and Todd's partner in crime, his wife Lesley was quick to jump into action and help with the dispersing and flow control of the finished cider.  It was a blast and can't wait for next years harvest.  Our freezers are now full with, honestly the best tasting cider I have ever had.  There were a couple different apple types we used and the balance of sweet and tart is perfect!

Probably over Thanksgiving I will be making my Mom's recipe for hot mulled cider.  It goes something like this:

My Mom's hot apple cider.

4L Apple Cider
1 Orange
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (to taste possible more)
3 Cinnimon sticks
4 clove buds
1/4 Tsp allspice
1 tsp ground Cinnimon.

*all these ingredient are adjustable to taste!!

Directions:
Slice orange and throw everything in a pot and simmer for a couple hours at least and enjoy.