If You've Ever Wondered How Cider is Made:

It's so much fun to take these:

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And turn them into this:

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And fill up a bunch of these:

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How do we do it you ask? Well...

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First the apples must go through Quality Control:

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Then they are washed and any with bad spots are sorted out

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The antique cider pressing mill is fired up and the washed apples are dumped in to be crushed:

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It's realized that the newly added motor's belt keeps comming off because of the leg of the mill, so adjustments are made:

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Success!

We are up and running!

Our hosts, and good friends, Ryan & Lacy:

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Let the pressing begin!

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J & the bigger boys crank down on the apples to press out the precious juices:

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But boys aren't allowed to have all the fun. It takes a girl to make sure it's done right!

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Once all the juice, now cider, is out, the excess pulp is dumped to feed to farm animals:

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The collected cider is then passed on the the goddesses of the kitchen, otherwise known as wives & mothers. We strain the cider into old milk & vinegar jugs:

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Once all our jugs are filled, it's time to eat our yummy desserts, and...

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Bob for Apples!

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Xavian had the fasted time with 16 seconds

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Eben was a close second

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There's already talk about pressing pears as well as apples next year, which brought up pear-berry cider allowed to turn into hard cider. And also talks of making maple syrup. I just need to talk my FIL out of his maple syrup supplies...

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