Cider and apple donuts. Mmmmmmm... Got my sugar fix for the next month or so but really tasty.
A few photos:
A sampling of the varieties they are growing - about 80 in all, some of the trees did not fruit this year as many of the plantings are only 2-3 years old. Lots of heirloom varietals - these are often much more delicious but to not respond well to cold storage or mechanical harvesting so they are not available for sale in stores.
These apples (and pears) have been sweated - picked and then stored for a week or two until they get just a little mushy. This is a standard procedure and makes them yield a lot more cider.
Making cider - William on the left is feeding cut apple pieces into the grinder. The pommace falls into a bag in the press basket and is then slid to the right. I forget the guy's name on the right but he is turning the screw to apply pressure and squeeze out the cider. The people in back are cutting the whole apples and pears into quarters so they grind more efficiently. The spent pommace in the wheelbarrow to the far right will be fed to their chickens, goats and alpacas.
They did a big pot of chili and one of the farm crew is an incredible baker - she did a bunch of doughnuts as well as pies and various other treats. Really good people there. I talked to their leader and he is definitely interested in my own commercial cider equipment as well as a bunch of my culinary bits and bobs - downsizing and it will be nice for these things to find a good home.
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