A Cider Pressing Party

Monday, October 11, 2010

Last Sunday, we participated in a truly lovely fall tradition -- a cider pressing party hosted by family friends  in Willow. It was a glorious day - brilliant blue skies, sunny, and that unique autumn mix of warm and brisk. 

The party was fun, yummy, and wonderfully photogenic. It was also perfectly suited to our little Will since it featured both apples AND tractors, two of his current passions. You'll see that he's holding either one or two apples in every picture. And we left with a gallon of fresh cider which is DELICIOUS!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes. I've also included a few great recipes that feature apple cider after the photos if you feel inspired.

A basket of apples, bound for the press
Basket of apples bound for the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will weighs his options
Will selecting apples to eat by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Vintage Ford tractor used to haul a wagon-load of apples up to the press
Vintage Ford tractor pulls wagon of apples up to the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

A picturesque wagon-load of apples calmly await their fate
A wagonload of apples from a neighbor by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Two girls filling a bucket with apples to press
Two girls filling buckets with apples from the wagon by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

The apples get a bath before pressing
Pouring apples into a bucket of water before pressing by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will's new friend, Jasper, puts all four teeth to work
Jasper puts his four teeth to work on an apple by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Gears whirring above the mash bucket
Gears and mash bucket by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Feeding apples to the hungry American Cider Mill
American Cider Mill press and operators by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Our wonderful hostess, Oona in front of classic American apples poster
Oona, our gracious hostess by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

A line of bottles & jugs snake up to the press, waiting to be filled
Empty jugs lined up for filling in front of the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Cranking down the press
Cranking the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will walking around a tree, holding a "bib" apple and a "lille" apple
Will with a big apple and a little apple by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Cider, fresh off the press!
Cider, fresh off the presses! by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Apple mash from the pressing headed for the compost pile
Apple mash leftover from pressing by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Apple Cider Recipes
And here are a few other tasty-sounding recipes from other blogs and sites that have caught my eye.

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Cider Pressing Party

Last Sunday, we participated in a truly lovely fall tradition -- a cider pressing party hosted by family friends  in Willow. It was a glorious day - brilliant blue skies, sunny, and that unique autumn mix of warm and brisk. 

The party was fun, yummy, and wonderfully photogenic. It was also perfectly suited to our little Will since it featured both apples AND tractors, two of his current passions. You'll see that he's holding either one or two apples in every picture. And we left with a gallon of fresh cider which is DELICIOUS!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes. I've also included a few great recipes that feature apple cider after the photos if you feel inspired.

A basket of apples, bound for the press
Basket of apples bound for the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will weighs his options
Will selecting apples to eat by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Vintage Ford tractor used to haul a wagon-load of apples up to the press
Vintage Ford tractor pulls wagon of apples up to the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

A picturesque wagon-load of apples calmly await their fate
A wagonload of apples from a neighbor by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Two girls filling a bucket with apples to press
Two girls filling buckets with apples from the wagon by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

The apples get a bath before pressing
Pouring apples into a bucket of water before pressing by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will's new friend, Jasper, puts all four teeth to work
Jasper puts his four teeth to work on an apple by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Gears whirring above the mash bucket
Gears and mash bucket by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Feeding apples to the hungry American Cider Mill
American Cider Mill press and operators by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Our wonderful hostess, Oona in front of classic American apples poster
Oona, our gracious hostess by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

A line of bottles & jugs snake up to the press, waiting to be filled
Empty jugs lined up for filling in front of the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Cranking down the press
Cranking the press by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Will walking around a tree, holding a "bib" apple and a "lille" apple
Will with a big apple and a little apple by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Cider, fresh off the press!
Cider, fresh off the presses! by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Apple mash from the pressing headed for the compost pile
Apple mash leftover from pressing by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2010

Apple Cider Recipes
And here are a few other tasty-sounding recipes from other blogs and sites that have caught my eye.