Saturday Fun, Apple Cider Pressing

Linda Bittle
Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

My friends and I have started a non-profit called The Council Valley Heritage Festival. The first 2 years, when both couples were members of the local Chamber of Commerce, it was run as a Chamber event. Earlier this year, we set up a 501 (c) 3 and ran the event under our own banner.

From the start, I've given pine needle basket making demonstrations. The big draw has been the apple cider pressing. In earlier times, this part of Idaho was a big apple producing area (https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=23222 ). We can get nearly local apples at a great price. And the old timers remember when cider making was a regular thing.

The first year, my friends processed 1600 pounds of apples into cider, the old fashioned way, with hand cranked crushers and press! Last year, they upgraded to a borrowed, bigger press, and did 2000 pounds of apples.

Yesterday they processed 3000 pounds of Honey Crisp and Jonathan apples into a wonderful sweet cider. This purchase made the job so much easier! They pretty much had it running from 9:30 to 6 without a hitch. We all think it was a worth-while purchase, and will be put to use for many years to come. I hear it's also easy to clean, and easy enough to roll onto a trailer to move around.

https://pleasanthillgrain.com/electric-apple-grinder-fruit-crusher

At the end of the day, we had only 6 gallons of cider unsold, I'd made a basket, and talked to lots of people who stopped to watch. Our vendors sold lots of baked goods, and our first ever chili contest produced exactly 1 contestant, but his chili was very good, and he stuck around to help clean up afterwards. I think he felt a little guilty for winning 100.00 so easily! Plus, the weather was nice, so lots of people came out to enjoy the day with us. Can't wait til next year!

Comments

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good for you! @Mary Linda Bittle

    The WCFS https://wcfs.org/ founded in 1980 that I am a member of, has been Raffling off each year at the WA-state Fair an electric Cider press made in Oregon by the 3rd. generation Correll family. They are a true piece of Art from hard woods, never seen the inside of a factory https://www.correllciderpresses.com/ People want that press so much, some get 20 ! of the $1 tickets, & each year as the Winner finds out, they all cry happy tears. - So then we buy a new Press for next year.

    Plus our Local chapter has held a Cider day, coming up soon, for over a decade. Honey Crisp is my all time favorite apple, & Cider. - There are also 4 other Cider-events in our county, also heavily attended.

    Happy for you. Yeah, go Go GO! -🤗

  • nksunshine27
    nksunshine27 Posts: 343 ✭✭✭

    Thats really cool, @Mary Linda Bittle, i live down in the valley and am always looking for bad apples from the orchards to make my homemade apple cider vinegar. all the leftover peels and pulp from you cider making can be turned in to apple cider vinegar. Just a thought to turn"waste" into something else.

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @nksunshine27 , yes people did take bags of pulp home for making ACV, and lots went for livestock feed. A local pig farmer took all we had left at the end of the day.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    Outstanding, there wouldn’t be a Facebook page with pictures of the event? Would love love to see them. Nothing like that that I know of in my neck of the woods. Great to hear that there are events like that still going on.

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don't think they have new photos up yet, but here's our page. One of our guys was running around with his camera, so I expect once he recovers from all the work, he will post some good ones.

    https://www.facebook.com/CouncilValleyHeritageFestival/

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @Mary Linda Bittle Thank you for sharing the story. I grew up drinking apple cider and went to a conference about six years ago in Taos, New Mexico and one of the workshops I attended was on apple cider. My brother and I recently talked about purchasing equipment to make apple cider in the future, so this is "right on time."

    And sounds righteous about the festival!