Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Heirloom apples, heirloom cider

I have 3 ancient apple trees, and they're starting to drop.   All have seen better days, and the gypsy moths hit one of them pretty hard.   Before the apples really get gross on the ground (and become goat food) I've started scavenging them.  It's a nice tradeoff between losing a few to rot and not having to do the work to pick them.   The trees give me them when they're ready.   Strangely, the sickest looking tree, the oldest and wisest one, also has the most obviously ripe apples up top - either that or it has fewer leaves to conceal the apples.

You won't get apples like this in the store, because they're small and gross, but they're 100% organic, and free.

If anyone reading this knows what kind they are, I'd appreciate the info.   I'm thinking macintosh, and something else, the stripey ones are definitely different apples.

After trimming the gross bits off and running them through the Breville, I get this:

Probably 6 ounces after pouring off the foam.   I'll lose a little more when it settles, too.   If I get an entire gallon, I'll count myself lucky.   I'll add some ale yeast later, and then race it against some unpasteurized cider I get from a local orchard (http://www.phantomfarms.com/) to see which comes out the best.   Hint: if you use champagne yeast you get a deadly combination of apple, bubbles, and super high ABV.   Be prepared for a nap after drinking.   That's why I go with ale yeast, I want something around 6%.

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