How to Use a Cider Press

A cider press allows you to make your own fresh apple cider in a snap. Nothing compares to homemade cider, and you can heat it for mulled cider, make spiked cider, serve it chilled, or even turn it into hard cider (alcoholic).

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cider press
• Apples

Using a Cider Press

1. 

   Select your apples, picking ripe fruit from the trees and discarding any rotten, bruised, or wormy fruits.

2. 

   Wash apples in cool water to remove dust and dirt.

3. Prepare your cider press equipment. Clean with soap and hot water, and sanitize with a tablespoon of bleach mixed into a gallon of water. Rinse the solution off to avoid pitting the equipment.

4. Core and slice apples, and chop if practical. For large batches, it may make more sense simply to core and slice; however, you'll be able to press out more juice if you first put the apples through a food processor.

5. Press apples through the cider press, filtering the juice through a strainer into the container. Refrigerate pressed cider in clean containers.

6. Use cider within ten days before fermentation gets underway, or pasteurize by heating to 170 degrees F to last three weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use apples form the ground or those that have potentially come in contact with animal droppings; these may have harmful bacteria.

Resources

• Jaffrey Tabletop Fruit Press
• Jaffrey Cider Press
• Cider, Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions, and Making Your Own