Yesterday we made the apple cider. This year has been an astronomical year for apples. I have been collecting apples from a number of different trees over the last few weeks. We love to have a mixture of apple flavours in the cider.
I went to a tree down the road near a wee farmhouse that is being renovated. They also want to try and reclaim this old barn. I do hope they can, it is small but beautiful.
Before we started the apples we needed to move the wine out of the plastic bucket barrels, so we could use them for the cider. So we racked the wine into the big glass demi-johns.
Now, here is a strange thing. You will remember that we halved the grapes at the last crush and I am fermenting my half with its own wild yeast and John is doing his the conventional way with the introduced yeast. Well, my ladybird wine, which is being fermented using the wild yeasts, is a notably different colour to the wine with the introduced commercial yeast. Mine also looked most disgusting when we took the lid off. But it did not smell bad. Have a look. The first jar is Johns and the second is mine. This is from the same grapes picked a few weeks ago.
Hmm, this could be interesting. While we had everything out we racked the honey mead. I had a little taste, it is VERY good.
Honey Mead benefits from a long aging and will sit a while longer – so back to the cider.
John made a smashing machine a few years ago just for the cider making. It is a spikey little barrel that rolls around inside a converted beer keg barrel.
Once the lid is on, it is powered by the tractor and I throw the apples into this little hatch on the side and all the mashed up apple comes out a hole in the base.
Then the apples are pressed in the ancient sausage maker that he turned into a press.
And there you are- 6 gallons of apple juice for cider.
And now due to popular demand – Nanny Boo and his brood. The Marmalade Kitten is doing very well. The Middle Kitten is holding his own. But the Tiny Puss is still not drinking properly. He is being force fed which is pretty miserable. I make him get up and I make him drink. They have been on kitten replacement milk the last few days, just to be sure, but still no change. 
There they are, off for walkies with their NannyBoo.
This morning the Broiler Chickens are off on their final road trip. I am looking forward to good chicken in the freezer and once again that will mean more time in my day. Today I will very, very slowly drag the ark from one side of the property to the other and around to the vegetable garden where it will exchange its tarpaulin for a big plastic sheet and magically turn into a fall green house. Once John gets home he will help me put it over the tomatoes. Exciting stuff.
love your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
56 responses to “Making apple cider with just a hint of cuteness: due to popular demand.”
What a clever contraption that apple press is!! I love a good side-by-side comparison, his-and-hers stuff. Peder and I used to have his veg plot and my veg plot. His was always better. He always grabbed the sunniest spot, too. 😀
I have always wanted to make my own cider: apples I can get, but no equipment. I’m sure yours will be wonderful. Hang on, smallest kitten.
awesome! The little kitties are growing up. You can see the difference in the size just a bit from when you first showed them. I hope little runt makes it. I’m pulling for him my friend! XOXO – Bacon
Thanks for the cuteness, it goes well with the cider. The colors in your photos are stunning. Fall technicolor. We miss that in California.
Every thing looking good at the farm! Apples, kittens, wine all my favorite things! Just back from the local orchard having bought a load of apples my self. Not so adventurous as you and making cider, but thought I would freeze some down for pies during the winter, and dry some for my granola in the mornings. Visited the farmers market saturday (they only have two more weeks before closing for the winter) and spent my pet sitting money on goodies for the freezer: Liver, kidneys, stew meat, ox tails, tongue, soup bones etc. (all the stuff most people don’t like) and got them all real cheep. Lots of hearty stews in the future cold winter months! And dog food too!
Reblogged this on My Blog snuppy.
Thanks for posting your crusher and press!!! So innovative and very cool! Will show my hubby!!!!
Your wine looks so nice and clear! I can’t wait to hear how it tastes! Woo hoo!!! 😀
Don’t you just love the heavenly smell!!!! My wine from the Niargras smells delicious! The wine from the Steubens is the loveliest color of deep pink! Smells delightful! I can’t wait to sample!
I am curious about your honey mead. Would love to try this. Could you email me the recipe? If it tastes that good…I sure would love to make some!
Steamed some tilapia for the kitties today! Smells up my kitchen, but oh how they love it! Easy for them to eat…poor old timers! 🙂
Finished cutting and moving all the trees and branches then the raking up of twigs! Uffda…what a job that was! So glad it is over!!! Kinda sore today….
I am saying prayers for your little runt…sigh…sure hope he/she makes it…it is so hard to lose one. I lost my little Sophie. She was a tiny one a neighbor’s cat dropped off in our barn and then left the little mite…she was so small…it broke my heart. I tried my best just like you are. Sometimes nature takes it course no matter how hard you try.
Have a great day! We have Zestar, Harrelson, and Fireside apple trees. My Clapps Favorite pear tree is coming along nicely! Have to decide on a couple of plums for the spring. We mix our apples with friends who have a huge orchard of just about everything! LOL
Have a great day Ceci! 😀
Sorry to hear about Sophie, but it seems more often we try the more likely we are to have to deal with failure, just numbers I guess, hope you are having a more restful day today.. c
Rained all day so I rested up and made some White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies! Gluten Free and delicious! Yum! And Two Tomatoes Au Gratin! That’s the last of my tomatoes. Red and green! Til next summer! C’est la vie! I haven’t had a day off in so long I didn’t know what to do with myself! LOL I can smell your crushed apples! Mmmmmm…. 😀
p.s. I love the pics today! Especially the one where Boo is giving a clean up or a nice kiss to one of his charges!!! LOL Thank you! I really love these! They make my morning! 😀
Interesting to see the different coloured wine. Also very good to see your apple crushing machine. We made our cider yesterday and use a garden shredder to pulp the apples, which works fine but means we have to cut the apples first.
hmm shredder, what a good idea, pity you have to chop them first though.. c
Thank you for keeping us posted on the little ones. It warms the cockles, as they say. And that apple crusher is so ingenuous.
I love Boo and his Kitty Brood. I hope the tiny one gets some strength going. Please don’t stop the photos I love them so much. I was telling a friend about them last night and couldn’t remember what breed Boo is, help me out?
Maggie, he’s a blue cattle dog, or blue heeler, a good Aussie working dog. They come in red too.
Thank You Nanette, it has been a rather busy day!! I love it when you all look after each other like that.. c
That’s what I thought, I guessed right!
I love the Nanny he truly does love his babies. I am sending magic thoughts for the tiny one!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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Good day C; boo is fantastic,the wine looks but i do have to say that the idea of turning the broiler palace into the green house is outstanding double duty is at the heart of homesteading outstanding.
be a blessing mike
Nanny Boo is so precious in his concern to nurture these little orphans. I still hope the best for each of the little dears. And I’m also so glad to have the visuals for the cider making. I pictured a small by comparison press. Silly me! You are the mother of the best inventions! Sending warm hugs to the kittens and tomatoes–we’re still dragging summer into our future, but I’m enjoying flavors of fall through your descriptive words and photos, Miss C. ox
Nanny Boo is going to be heart broken if Tiny Puss doesn’t make it…