Making Apple Cider Using an Apple Press

Pressing your less than perfect apples to release their juices is a great way to make good use of the apples that might otherwise go to waste.  Nothing says "fall" like a glass full of fresh apple cider!

Apples on an old tree.

Because we don't spray our apple trees we always have some that are too damaged by insects to be stored in our root cellar for fall and winter use. Others may not be perfectly round making them hard to peel for apple slices. Those that have fallen to the ground are bruised and will spoil if not processed quickly.

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Apples picked and ready to be sorted.

When our apples are picked we go through them and separate them based on how they will be used.

• Perfect - (round, no bruising, skin has no imperfections)  Save for storage.

• Near Perfect - (shape is round, small bruises, skin has minor imperfections) Eat fresh in the next week, use for baking or sauce, or peel and slice then freeze or dehydrate.

• Imperfect - (bruises, large areas of imperfection, non symmetrical) Press for cider.

This post will provide instructions for making apple cider using an apple press. If you don't have the funds to purchase your own press or the space to store it, you can look into renting a press.  I have seen them available at brew shops in the fall.

Cider press with hopper, grinder, bucket and pressing plate.

The first step is to pick the apples and then categorize them to determine which apples you would like to press.

Then put the apples in a large sink or basin, fill with water and give them a quick rinse.

Apples get a quick rinse in well water.

Cut the apples into chunks.  Our grater grinds most efficiently when average size apples are cut in fourths. Chunks grind better than slices.  The finer the pulp is ground, the more juice it will release.

Apples cut and ready to grind.

Pour the cut up apples into the "hopper".  The hopper is the wooden box that holds and guides the apple chucks into the grinder.

Wooden hopper box.

The grinder is a wooden cylinder with protruding metal teeth than grind the apples into a course pulp.

Grinder teeth with apple pulp.

The pulp falls into a nylon mesh bag which has been placed in a round bottomless bucket that is made from spaced wooden slats.

Mesh bag in place.

Hopper and grinder positioned over the mesh bag.  The round red handle is turned to grind the apples.

Grinding the apples into a pulp releases more juices than simply cutting or chopping.

Apple pulp after going through the grinder.

The top of the nylon mesh bag is folded over keeping all the apple pulp inside the bag.

The mesh bag lets the juice out and keeps the pulp and skin in.

The round metal press plate is screwed downward squeezing the pulp and releasing the apple juice.

Metal plate creates pressure.

A metal handle is used to screw the metal plate all the way down the wooden bucket.

The juice flows out the sides and bottom and drains into a collection pan.

Be sure to find a pan that fits directly under the press.

The plate is in its lowest position.

When the juice stops dripping, pour the cider out of the collection pan and into a pitcher.  Lift the mesh bag out of the wooden form and dump the pulp  in a bucket.  The pulp can be composted or fed to chickens.  

Give your pulp another use by feeding it to livestock or adding it to your compost pile.

Begin the process again and repeat until all the apples have been pressed.

Fresh apple cider, a fall treat.

Tips

• A five gallon bucket of cut up apples usually yields about one gallon of cider.

• Use a heavy duty knife for cutting the apples, Chef or Santoku knives work best.

• If the apple is rotten don't use it, but you do not have to bother removing skin imperfections, fresh bruising, or cores and stems.

• Freshly pressed apple cider is delicious but since it is preservative free it will only last in your refrigerator for a few days.  Please check out my future posts providing instructions for using your apple juice to make apple cider vinegar and hard cider.

• Apple cider can be canned or frozen.  We find that frozen cider has a taste that is closer to fresh, however canned and frozen cider is never as good as the fresh juice.