Cider Press Fun!

Have you ever seen those reality shows where they buy items on Craigslist and turn around to resell them at a profit? 

Sounds like a pretty sweet way to make a little extra cash. 

So many people have an old relative die and are left with tools and such and have no clue what to do with them! In our society there just isn't a need for what grandpa had stored away in his garage. Garages are meant for cars, not tools, right? I guess it depends on who you talk to. 

When family members are at a loss with what to do with a houseful of random items left behind from those who have experienced the depression, they often don't even know what they are looking at. This is not entirely their fault. Technology and modern conveniences have replaced the need for self-sufficiency. If I have a craving for apple cider then I simply drive to the grocery store and pick up a gallon, or two. But, in times past, it was not so easy to come by. If you wanted cider, you made it, or traded for it.

This past fall, we came across one on Craigslistfor an amazing price. Yes, we did resell it quickly, for a decent profit but not before making some tasty cider! We had a blast. We would have kept it but after looking at it, my husband was convinced he could make his own.

We found a local farm selling second rate apples (which worked fine for cider making). We bought three bushels. When all was said and done, we had seven and a half gallons of pure, organic, fresh, homemade, apple cider! A dream come true. 

If you use a juicer, this is basically the same concept expect for the fact that you use a hand crank and it's on a much larger scale than what is required for your typical green smoothie.

You put the apples in whole, turn the crank and watch it go! Our particular model did have a motor so the grunt work wasn't as tiresome as other models. It was so easy that my kids wanted to take over. We had a stainless steel container to catch the juice while the barrel collected all the pulp. Of course we didn't want to waste anything so the pulp went directly to the chickens. They certainly didn't complain!

Have You Made Cider On A Press? 

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 In The Comments Section Below!

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