Pressing Cider

This time we set up the screened in room to press so the bees wouldn't bother us and all went well. The add on did it's job and we ended up with around 10 galllons of cider from 4 bushels of appples,which is less than I thought we should get. The apples weren't as juicey yet. Maybe the later pressing will yeild more. We had a good time working with Matt and the very prego Shell and learned the process a little better. Next time it will go even smoother.

Next thing is to get ready for Bow Hunting season!

"On Deck" add on to the Whizbang Cider Press

I'm getting ready for cider pressing and have been thinking of how to improve the setup. This is what I am going to call the ON Deck platform. I attach it with a couple of door hinge pins so it can be removed for storage.

I made another basket from wood that I got at the auction for 2 bucks! They were all small pieces of hardwoods. So now I have a complete ON DECK setup so that a basket can be loaded while another is being pressed. That will cut down on the press idle time.




This is the finished product . I did add cross supports to the legs after this photo. Now to paint it.

This month seems to be going by so fast that I can't keep up . We continue to can what ever we can from the garden. Mostly tomatoes,beets and pears. Cider season will start soon . The apples are still clinging to the trees and I want to wait for cooler weather. I think that the apples will be sweeter the longer we wait. It will be fun pressing.
Macy comes once a week to spend the night and she gets to be exposed to all of our chores. Maybe when she is up and married on her own she will want to can ,bake,garden and be content doing it. I think that our lives are shaped in the early years by what we see as "normal". I hope to be a good influence in that direction. I still think of my grandmother when I make bread. She took me under her wings early on and taught me how it was done.....and I loved it.


This picture is for Macy's mom Sarah so she can gasp a little. It's heart attack time Sarah!
Don't worry ,be happy.
GG likes to read to Macy as often as she can. It won't be long and this phase will pass she will be talking about school or boys or something. Have to enjoy the moment because it be gone too soon. Ginny was soooo smart to arrange our weekly visits while we could .
This hibiscus(sp) plant is the one that we have had four years now. We bring it in in the fall to keep it from freezing and it has done well. Every year it will lose all of it's leaves and look dead but it comes back fine. It has looked like this most of the summer.....full of flowers every day.
That's the news for now. Over.