deCIDER

DH decided to make cider again this year, using the apples from the middle tree.  

These are "dual purpose" apples, a variety called "Golden Noble".

Miss Teen had been caredully collecting and composting the windfalls for us, most of which had either been nibbled by birds or were scummy.

We are early in the season, so there are lots of apples. DH picked yesterday and today, about 35kg in total

 DH excavated the proper apple mill and the hydropress from the loft a couple of days ago, cleaned and sterilised them,  I He did most of the stuff himself, although I helped by cutting the apples for the final bucket.

The mill and the press worked really well, and the juice yield was quite high. 

We;ve now got a massive thing (fermenter?) sitting on the breakfast bar.  The house will stink for a while,  it's only just stopped stinking from the 2 fermenters of  pear wine he's got on the go.  

It was a good year for pears, too!

One of the apple trees, a cooker named "Crawley Beauty",  had only a couple of apples this year, and a lot of it is dead wood now. .    We'll have to take it out this winter, I think - or pollard it.   Next door has some trees growing, and they are huge, so taking this tree out might let in a bit more light. 

 I'll be sorry to see it go.