Last year we got blessed with a great apple harvest. We were taken by surprise to be honest. After a drastic branch-cut last January we expected no crop from our ancient trees. They’re supposed to recover not produce… but produce they did in their kilograms.
But there’s only so much fruit, pies and sauces one can eat in season. Obviously, there is a storage option but we just did not want to risk another year of juiceless, odd-tasting apples… well my dad warned us that wrapping the fruit in the newspaper stops them from rotting but also makes them taste like printing ink. We had not believed him…a big mistake!
Concerned that the lovely fruit was going to get spoiled we decided to attempt cider making. What a fantastic idea this was! For starters, shredding and juicing apples is a joyful opportunity for family gathering. Everyone wants to lend a hand in return for a bottle of amber liquid…or a promise of one as 4 month later the fermented juice is still resting in demijohns. Is it going to be cider or cider vinegar? We shall find out today…it is time to bottle up!
