We have had apples every year we’ve been here. I don’t know if were more attuned to them and what to do with them or it was an extra good year for apples (fair amount of rain last year) but we have had a ton… I have made many, many batches of dried apples, many tarts and had several people over to pick and was still drowning in them. It was time to get a press. The bright red press and separate fruit grinder were quite reasonable. About $300 all told. And, they are easy enough to operate. I had originally planned to do this on Dreamfarm Road, but decided the Oakland kitchen was more user friendly. The access to outdoors very convenient and the floor is tile! This is a messy business on a good day and I don’t have to worry about water on the floor. I have set up an run the press twice. The second time, Vicki Vegis came over to help and it went more quickly. However, I ran it two more times after she went home before falling down exhausted. It is put away for the season in the DFR shop. The cider was mostly fermented with the exception of about a gallon, which I froze. All the first fermentation’s are complete now with 4 different bottlings, changing a few parameters. They are all in secondary containment in Oakland trying to gain some fizz.
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