The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: Bodger on August 01, 2009, 06:34:50 am
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This is what we started to do with ours some years ago.
We made cider for the first time ever this year and so I ticked off another one of my lifetime ambitions.
We beg stole and borrowed apples from wherever we could and made about twenty gallons.
Here is a pictorial guide of what went on over two weekends. REALLY GOOD FUN :D :D :D
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs4.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/daad.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs7.jpg)
We even got Granny working sorting the apples out.
The small cylindrical press held 12 litres of what the professionals call cheese which is really squished apples to us novices and cost £70.
This was more than adequate but the biger one was made by my mate from plans that we got from Downsizer.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs5.jpg)
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs3.jpg)
Even this small press churned out plenty of juice for our size of operation
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs1.jpg)
We put the chopped apples through a borrowed garden shredder.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/daad3.jpg)
The press that my friend made worked well but there will be modifications for next season.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/cider%20making/ffs.jpg)
Not the finished article but a few months on its now perfectly clear.
The good news ! If we can do it anybody can ! The bad news is that after making 20 gallons of the stuff, I have a sneaky feeling that this stuff may not be helping the odd touch of gout that I get from time to time. :)
Things have moved on a little since these early days, just how, I'll let you know in later posts.
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I'm impressed!
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Wow looks fantastic ;D
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I make chutney with most of mine.
The rest are stewed and jared for winter use, or put into crumbles and pies.
I love Taunton Dry Blackthorn Cider, but could never get into home made stuff, and tried scrumpy in Taunton when I was travelling - not for me - looks fun but also hard work too.
Just making apple and onion chutney now with loads of apples I have that are too small for anything else but jams, jellies and chutneys. The smell of them cooking in all the spices and vinegar is wonderful.
Julie