Apple Cider Day

Welcome back!

It was so much fun to visit you last week. Thanks for inviting me to share Johnny Appleseed Day with you.

First I have a few funny pictures from the farm.

Whenever we try to get a picture of Echo she sticks her nose in the camera!
It looks like she has a big nose. Matt took this photo and we thought it was so funny!
If you were going to write a story about this picture, how would your story start?
What would happen in your story?

Do you have a brother or sister who always gets themselves stuck or in trouble?
This is River.
She manages to get herself stuck in gates inside the barn....

and outside the barn.
She is a sweet, fun, friendly goat.
But she sure knows how to get herself into trouble!

*     *     *     *     *     *

Last week my family loaded up the apple cider press, the grinder, and all the apples
so we could come visit you and show you how we make apple cider.

After getting all set up we let each child put an apple in the grinder and turn the handle.
Sometimes it was easy to turn the handle, and sometimes it was really hard!

Do you see the rocks on the table that holds the grinder? That's because one of the boards started coming loose so Matt had a great idea to use two rocks to hold the board in place. It worked!

The next day we made the rest of the apples into cider. This is what it looks like when the grinder is going.

When we have enough apples ground we put them in the press.
Sorry, we don't have any pictures of what it looks like pressing the apples.

After the apples are pressed, and the cider comes through the hose, we get to taste it!

I only have a few pictures of you tasting because Mrs. Deitz was only able to stay for a little while to take pictures. Maybe next year we'll have a parent volunteer come to help take pictures of all of you enjoying the delicious, fresh cider!

We pressed about 6 gallons while we were with you on Friday.

After you left it took us about 2 hours to clean up, pack up the equipment, and head for home. I got home about 5:30 that afternoon. That's a long day!

On Saturday we pressed all the rest of the apples into cider. We pressed 18 gallons of cider that day. We are very grateful that the neighbors shared so many apples with us. And we are very, very glad that so many of you brought apples, too. If we put different kinds of apples into the cider, the cider tastes so much better.

I think that is just like people. The more different kinds of people that work together, the better the group becomes.

What happens to all the peels and chunks that are left over from making cider?

We bring them home and share some of them with the animals. The cows, goats, and chickens all love the leftovers. We put the rest in the mulch pile so it will turn into good dirt for the garden. We don't throw the peels and leftovers away, they all go to good use!

Thank you for letting me come and show you how we make cider. I hope you liked it.

Have a great week!

Canning Apple Pie Filling

This post is especially for my sister, Linda. She's a wonderful woman who lives far away. I miss her and think about her often.

If you are new to canning, visit this link: National Center for Home Food Preservation

They have lots of free resources for canning and preserving at home.

I used the recipe found in this section of their online (downloadable and free!) book called

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning

The two most important things to remember about canning are:

1. Use USDA approved recipes. They have done all the testing and know that the recipe is safe to can at home. No one wants botulism! 
2. Making sure you've processed the food for the correct amount of time at your altitude. 

These are the best way to avoid botulism.

Here's a good analogy:
Many people grew up just fine without car seats. I don't know any parents or grandparents who would drive their toddler around without one now. We know better now, so we do better now.

If you are using Granny's secret family recipe, toss it!

Let's get started!

Here's the recipe I used.
It's found in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, section 2, page 26.

I love this canning book. I own 7 canning books (including the Ball Blue Book) and I come back to this free book time and again. I love that I can make a single quart (or pint in some recipes) to try out the recipe and make any adjustments.

I also love that I don't have to do any altitude math. They've done it all for me. Since I live at 4500 feet above sea level I process my quarts for 35 minutes. (Time, temperature, and correct acid level is what prevents botulism).

Before you start washing and peeling apples, wash 7 wide mouth quart jars and rings. I usually put them in the dishwasher to wash. They stay warm in the dishwasher, which is helpful because you want the jars to be warm when you fill them with the apple pie filling.

Also put 7 new wide mouth lids (they come with new jars, or you can purchase them separately) in a pot with some water. Set the pot on the back burner to simmer while you make the filling. They don't need to boil, but they do need to get hot because the red sealing compound needs to soften.

Apples.
These were free from a neighbor's tree. I take what I can get.
A mix of apples is good, too. Tart apples like Granny Smith are best,
but I'm all for free!

Peel and slice the apples.
I have a peeler/corer that I love.
It makes the job go much faster.
You'll need at least 6 quarts of apples. I usually use 7 quarts of apples because we like more apples in our pies.

I have a big bowl of water with 2 tablespoons of citric acid mixed in to keep the apples from going very brown. They still brown a little, but not as much as if I didn't put them in water and citric acid. You can also use some lemon juice or Fruit Fresh if you don't have access to citric acid.

This is a 2 gallon bucket overflowing with the peels and cores.
The chickens, goats, and cows all love the leftovers so nothing goes to waste.
If you don't have livestock, dump the leftovers in your compost heap.

Boil the apples a few quarts at a time. I use a pasta pot that my Dad gave me years ago.
Make sure the water is boiling before you put the apples in.
Use at least a gallon of water to boil 6 cups of apples.
Why? Because the apples won't cool down the water as much at that ratio.
Boil for about 1 minute. 

The apples won't be fully cooked in 1 minute of boiling,
but they will look much prettier, and they will be
pre-heated before putting in jars.

Put the drained apples in a place where they will stay warm. I put them in a big pot with a lid on.

Combine the sugar, ClearJel (don't use flour!), cinnamon, and nutmeg in a
large pot. Stir the dry ingredients together until well mixed.
Add the water and apple juice and stir.

Heat until it becomes thick and bubbly.
It will turn caramel colored and won't be as cloudy looking
as when you started mixing.
It usually takes 4-6 minutes to get the mixture to thicken.
Add the lemon juice and boil for 1 minute.

I don't add my apples to the filling mix, I add the mix to my apples.
Use a large spoon to mix thoroughly.

Take the jars out of the dishwasher and sit them on a towel on the counter.
You can put them directly on a counter that isn't cold, but mine is granite, so it's cold!
Another benefit of using towels is that you have less counter clean-up to do.
The towels go right into the washing machine!

You'll need a wide-mouth funnel. I like my Bottle Mate canning funnel found at this link. Any funnel that will fit both wide and regular mouth jars, and cover the rim of the jar is helpful.

You'll also need a ladle. My favorite is the Home Canning Scoop found here. It's big, comfortable to hold, and is shaped to get into the corners of pots. I use it for more than canning!

Okay, fill the jars!
Headspace (the space between the top of the jar and the top of the food) is important.
Pie filling needs 1" of head space because the food will expand while it's processing.
I've got a handy gadget called a Bubble Remover and Headspace Tool (here).
You can use a ruler, just make sure you have the proper headspace.

This gadget is home-made. It's a chopstick with a magnet glued on the end so that I can use it to take the lids out of the hot water.
You can buy a 'real one' in the grocery store in your canning section
or online.
I've had this for years and it works great, so I haven't bothered to buy one.

Wipe down the rims of your jars with a moistened paper towel or clean microfiber cloth.

Put a lid and a ring on each jar. Don't screw the rings on tightly. They should be on 

enough to keep the lids on, but not come unscrewed in boiling water.

Fill a canning pot with water.

If you don't have a canning pot, make sure the water covers your jars by at least 1".

You can buy a small batch canning kit from Ball. I have one and I love it for small batches, or if my batch ended up with an extra jar full that won't fit in the big canner.

Or you can serve the leftovers to hungry sons.
Tastes great with a scoop of ice cream, too!

You're water bath should be about the same temperature as the bottles of pie filling.
If it's a little warmer, that's okay. Don't shock the jars (and break them) by putting filled jars directly into boiling water.

Put the lid on and bring the water to a boil. Start your timer AFTER the water starts boiling, not before.

The water doesn't need to be at a full rolling boil for the whole time, but it does need to be boiling, not simmering. If it's boiling hard the jars will knock into each other and have a chance of breaking, and the water will evaporate more quickly.

A nice easy boil is just right!

When the time is completed, lift the jars out of the water and let them sit above the water for about 5 minutes.
If you're doing this in a big soup pot with no rack, lift them out one at a time and sit them on a towel on the counter.

I use a jar lifter to lift my jars out of the boiling water bath canner. You can see what they look like here.  Sorry I didn't get a picture of one.

Let them cool overnight.

If you have jars that didn't seal, you can process them again with a new lid within 24 hours of the first processing.

It's normal for a little of the pie filling to leak out of the jars while it's being processed.
After the jars have cooled, take all the rings off and wash the jars, jar rims, and rings.

Most home canners don't store the rings on their jars. It's okay to do, but you need to put clean rings on clean jars or you'll have bacteria and botulism growing in the food that didn't get cleaned off.

I make simple labels for my canned goods that include the what I canned,
the recipe I used,
and the date that the batch was canned.

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to can. It's helpful, and it makes canning go more smoothly, but you can bottle food in smaller jars in your soup pot to decide if you like canned food, and if you like processing and storing on your own.

Remember to follow the recipe, especially using lemon juice when needed, and processing for the correct amount of time.

It's okay to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe, but it will change the flavor, texture, and appearance of the final product.

Happy Canning!

Keeping the Apple Peeler/Corer in Place

My kids love dried apples. Vet2Be, who has braces, can eat them easier than he can eat regular apples. I dehydrate a lot of apples. One of our daughters loves them so much she ate 10 dehydrated apples in 24... more than once!

Here's my set up for using my peeler/corer/slicer.

I place 4 layers of non-slip shelf liner under my clamp-style apple peeler so that it stays steady on the counter. The suction cup style wasn't available when I bought my peeler many years ago. The bucket in the background holds all the peels and cores to take out to the goats.

I use a honey dip to pre-treat my apples because my kids like it. Honey dip adds calories, makes the apples a little sweeter, and helps the apples retain a fresher color when dried.

Honey Dip
Boil 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup honey when the sugar is dissolved.

Dip the apples in the mixture and let them sit for 3-5 minutes. Remove the apples, drain, and place on dryer racks. I usually place my racks in the sink and place the apples on the racks so the apples can drain right into the sink.

I always leave the bottom tray empty but lined with the plastic fruit leather tray liner so that I don't have any liquid that might drip get into the motor of the dehydrator. I'm sure lining the bottom tray with plastic wrap would work, too.

I dehydrate my apples in my American Harvester dehydrator at 145F. They take anywhere from 6-10 hours depending on the size and type of apples.

You can tell when the apples are done if they are still pliable but the sides don't stick together when you fold an apple slice in half.

I don't condition my apples because they are usually eaten within a few days. If you dehydrate a lot of apples for long term storage it is a good idea to condition them.

Conditioning is when you place the cooled fruit loosely in a sealed container and let it stand for 7 to 10 days, shaking it gently once a day. This allows the moisture to move from thicker, moister pieces to thinner drier pieces. If you see condensation on the inside of the container, return the fruit to the dryer for another few hours (unless the fruit is shows signs of spoilage or mold, in which case, throw it out!)

Here is a great reference for dehydrating foods "Dry it, You'll Like It"

Cider Making 2011

We've been making cider for the last two weeks. Most of the cider-making has been helping friends make their apples into cider.

We pressed in the garage this year because most of the families ended up coming in the evening (after dar) to press. The garage has lights and we can shut the door to keep it a little warmer. We helped 6 families press cider this year, and did 6 or 7 bushel of our own.

Here are a few of the good ideas we came up with this year.

Free apples! Another 8 bushel came after I took this photo. We pressed about 30 bushels of apples Saturday afternoon.

Hubby cut a hole in his work bench so that the grinder would sit on top. It was a great height for anyone about 6' tall. Some of us that are a little shorter had to stand on paint cans. 

The garbage bag was placed under the grinder to provide a chute for the apple pieces. It worked very well and we'll be doing it again the next time we press. The plastic tote wasn't the best idea, we ended up using one of the green oval tubs (you can see the tub in one of the later photos) instead. The one in the photo above ended up breaking at the handle because it wasn't flexible and it wasn't strong enough to hold a bushel of ground apples. 

Another shot of the grinder set-up this year. We also put some old towels under the grinder area to make clean up easier. An old tarp would have been better, but we didn't have one handy. 

"I wanna try!" Yup! They all want to try the grinder! At least for a few minutes. It's hard work and Vet2Be lasted the longest.

We borrowed Sheepy's press, too (that's the one on the left). Both presses were set up on opened feed bags to help with the clean up. The red bucket between the two presses is filled with hot water to rinse the bottles off after they are filled. Both presses have a vinyl hose attached so that the bottles can be filled easier. They also have a stainless steel food service pan to put the bottles in and catch any spills. That not only helps with clean up, it helps save cider! We also put the presses up on old 4"x4" posts to raise them up just a bit. It makes it much easier to fill the bottles.

Prion on the left and Spunky on the right. Both here for Thanksgiving! The green tub in this photo is what we used to catch the apple pieces in after the clear tub handle broke. In this photo the green tub is full of hot water, some food safe disinfectant, and lots of apples. We soak the apples before they go through the grinder. The hot water saves our hands from getting too cold (no one wanted to use plastic gloves!) and I think it makes the apples release more juice. But that could be my imagination!

A screen added to the base caught any apple pieces that fell while we were filling the wooden pressing tubs. The tubs have a mesh bag in them, but sometimes when we are filling the bag apple pieces fall out. The screen keeps the apples from plugging the drain hole.

In this photo I've pulled the screen up and you can see the cider heading down the drain.

Yeay! Empty boxes from Saturday's pressing! Not all of them are in the photo, some are already gone. It was alot of work!

On Saturday we filled every 2-liter bottle I had saved (3 garbage bags full), every 1/2 gallon jar I had (12), every extra gallon and 1/2 gallon plastic pitcher I had (15 or 16), every empty 1/2 gallon jar my friend had (???) and a soup pot!

We kept a few, but my friend took everything else home and is going to process it this week. I have no idea how she is going to process so much cider! We usually freeze what we can and drink (or sell) the rest. I processed 14 quart jars on Saturday night because I had sent all my freezable containers with my friend. We've never processed it before, so it will be a good experiment to find out how it tastes.

A view of part of the garden where we dumped rotting apples and all the peelings after pressing.

Over the last two weeks we helped 6 families press cider, plus make our own. I estimate that we pressed over 100 bushels of apples this year. We also ruined two car jacks (over zealous help!) and bent a truck jack.

Our List of Equipment for Cider Making

• Good friends who don't mind working beside you

• Cider press (Whiz-bang style)
• tarps or old feed bags for under the press(es) (unless you are making cider outside, then an old pallet is better)
• hydraulic jack (that's what we'll be using next year) or a truck jack
• mesh laundry bags (for putting into the pressing tub)
• new window screen (for under the pressing tubs)

• apple grinder (we borrow a Happy Valley Ranch grinder from our friends)
• tarp under the grinder area for easier clean up (unless you are doing it outside, then an old pallet works better
• a tub for soaking the apples in before grinding
• a tub for catching the apple pieces after they are ground
• plastic garbage bag to act as a chute for ground apples
• lots of 2-liter soda bottles (or glass jars if you are going to process the cider)
• bucket of hot water to rinse off the filled bottles
• towels to dry off cold, wet hands and/or plastic gloves for working with the apples

• garden wagon lined with an old feedbag or extra tubs to haul the dry pulp (pumace) to the garden after pressing

• Frozen pizza or other fast food--you aren't going to want to cook when you are so tired and there is still an hours worth of clean-up to do

Update:

Why to avoid compact car jacks on the cider press

The 'totaled' jacks. The one on the left has stripped threads, the one on the right is bent. We ended up using some big truck jacks, but next year we will use hydraulic jacks. And maybe encourage helpers to be less zealous when they are working the press!

Apples Trees

My good friend, who gave us all the grapes, has a friend who has an apple press. Last year we were able to go down and press the apples from our neighbors trees into cider. It went so fast! It took us 5 hours total to pick the apples, clean the grass under the trees, and make 11 1/2 gallons of apple cider! If I had to pick only one juice to store, it would be apples because it is so fast!

Two of the neighbors trees that Vet2Be and Hubby pruned and cared for this year. I have no idea what type of apples these are. They made great apple cider last year. We just opened the last 1/2 gallon last week.

It has been a spectacular apple year. Everyone I know that has apple trees has been loaded. We had a long, cool spring with lots of rain. Very unusual for this area, but the apples loved it.