We Made Cider!!!

Seriously. One of my good friends' hubby bought the metal parts from a cider press on eBay, then cleanned & repainted them, and built the wood frame. It's the old fashioned hand cranking kind.

We had soooo much fun!

The kids all washed and sorted the apples. Some were taste tested by our little quality control crew. They insured that only the best went in.

One adult hand cranked, while another turned the press.

Most of the kids took turns filling the grinder with apples and trying out the hand crank.

Not pictured are the 3 adults who strained, jugged/bottled, and kept the kids supplied with cups. We figured that it took a 5 gallon bucket of apples to make one gallon of cider, approximate. The day was pretty chilly and crisp. definately fall weather!

And now I have 6 gallons of fresh unpasturized apple cider sitting on my kitchen counter. Want a glass?

(Xavian is not pictured. He was obviously not in the mood for a camera today)