How do I Find a Place to Press My Apples Into Cider?
If you love fruit and juice, you haven't lived until you've tasted fresh, pure, unfiltered apple juice (otherwise known simply as cider when it is freshly drawn). You can press your own apples into cider at home with the right materials and a proper working area. Use large, juicy varieties like Red Delicious or Gala for the best payoff. Always make sure the apples are ripe and unbruised. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4-by-6 inch hardwood (24 inches long), 6 pieces
- Hand saw or hacksaw
- 2 large wood cutting boards
- 4 carriage bolts
- 16 wood screws
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Metal tray slightly larger than the cutting boards
- Tin snips
- Bottle jack
- Cheesecloth bag
- Bucket, cleaned and sanitized
- Apples
Instructions
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Find an adequate location for pressing the apples. You must do the work in a clean and sanitized area (no dusty garages or basements) and on a very sturdy counter. This must be at a level where you can comfortably stand and press apples so juice runs into a bucket. Consider an area in a den or kitchen where you have enough space to move around comfortably.
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Put four of the 4-by-6 pieces set up on the narrowest sides, forming them into a square in your adequate work space and on a sturdy surface. Secure each corner with carriage bolts.
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Set this square box onto the widest side. Place one of the 4-by-6 pieces against one side of the box. Line up all edges so it is almost an extension of the box. Repeat this process with the last 4-by-6 piece on the opposite box side.
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4
Set one of the wooden cutting boards on top of the 4-by-6 frame, right in the middle, so it covers the hollow center. Position the two 4-by-6 pieces that are loose on each side of the box so that the edges match with the cutting board, then use two wood screws on each end to attach the board to the edges of these two pieces.
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Use the tin snips to cut the metal tray all down the side of one edge, starting about one inch in from the edge and nicking it until it runs off the tray. The marks need to be about 1/2-inch apart, eventually creating a comb-like appearance. These nicks provide the waterway for the juices to run into the bucket. Secure the metal tray at all corners to the cutting board with the drill and screws.
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Fill the cheesecloth bag with apples that you have cut into chunks. Close the bag with a twist tie or rubber band. Put the bag on the metal tray.
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Set the second cutting board on top of the bag, lining up the edges to the first cutting board.
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Work the bottle jack to crush the apples into cider. First, unscrew the piston ram by turning it counterclockwise. Insert the handle into the pump shaft and pump up and down to raise it, continuing until it is high enough to fit over the top cutting board.
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Locate the valve (usually on the bottom of the jack and looks like a flat screw). Use the jack handle as a key to turn the valve clockwise until it is locked.
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Position the bucket underneath the tray nicks where the juice will spill over, then take the handle out of the pump shaft and put the tip into the valve. Crank it counterclockwise until you lower it tightly over the cheesecloth bags, crushing the apples. Continue to crank it until you have pressed all the juice out of the apples and it is running into the bucket.
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Repeat this procedure with as many apples as you like. Keep your apple pressing area clean at all times, including countertops, floors and the press itself so you don't attract insects or foragers.
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References
- Photo Credit apples image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
