Apple Cider - Making It In The Old Days

Hi All,

Well, yesterday was Senior Citizens Day and we had a real old fashioned meal enjoyed by all. It started off with some Apple Cider, then we had baked potatoes, corn bread, carrotts, salad and dried beef gravy - For desert we had what I think was an old fashioned spice cake. This was a very filling wholesome meal and of course you get a bunch of old timers together, naturally we have to reminisce.

Starting off with the Apple Cider - I remember my dad used to take the double wagon up the the old orchard we had and pick some apples. I actually never was around when he did that as I was in school at that time of year. He used to take the apples down to Henry Burnor's store/garage in Fairfield Center, where there was a cider press - I don't remember much about the cider press either except the fact that there was a big glass with a handle on it similar to what you used to see at A & W Rootbeer that hung by the handle on a nail. Everybody used the same glass, I remember to taste the cider.

Now, our orchard was a farm orchard that we never did anything to, except go pick the apples when they were ready. The trees were never sprayed, and as I got older, I often wondered what might have happened to the appletree worms, but I am sure Dad checked them before they were selected for the cider press. The next part of it I remember is that our cider was in a big wooden barrel with a wooden spigot on it that we kept down cellar. In the evenings Dad would take a big pitcher, fill it with cider and put it on the kitchen table where we all got our glasses and filled them and drank the cider. Now, I'm not sure how long it took, but eventually the cider began to get a little picky when you drank it which I believe was called the stage between fresh apple cider and hard cider. Later on when the cider was in the hard cider stage, we would add a little maple syrup to it. Naturally, when it got to that stage, we did not fill our glasses.

Now our cellar on the farm was a dirt cellar and in the winter time the cider was always nice and cold. Things sure have changed over the years. I believe now cider has to be pastuerized or something like that to prevent you from getting sick. None of that back in the old days. Sure would like to see one of those old fashioned cider presses at work today.