Our family has been put to work gathering the apples including the cat who has mastered the technique of scrumping.Will keep you posted on how we get along so hope you enjoy the journey as much as I am going to!
Well it was on a Wednesday frosty morning and I had access to the apple crusher and cider press. Most of my apples had gone rotten and so I was only able to muster about a barrow full. See the apple crusher set up in a not very safe or sophisticated way! What I did was put the apples in the green box and chopped them up with my shovel until they were in smaller chunks. They were then put into the old crusher and crushed. Don't worry they never landed on the floor as I had a tray to catch it in.
After they were mashed up my camera ran out of batteries and I wasn't able to record the fun bit of pressing the mummas. See apple press below
The barrow full gave me about a gallon and a little bit. I sieved this through, put it in a clean demijohn added bread yeast with a bit of sugar, popped in an air lock and now it is happily popping away in my airing cupboard. With the other bit I also put that in a demijohn but added water, sugar and yeast to try and make an apple wine in about five to six months time. The cider should be ready round about Feb. Lets drink those winter blues away.
