How to Use an Enterprise to Press Cider
The Enterprise fruit press was a massive, 50-pound cast-iron press produced by the Enterprise Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. Today they are valued antiques, but they were so sturdily made that many of them are still functional, as long as you have all the parts. This device could do everything from stuff sausage to press lard, so making apple cider with it is not much of a challenge. Plus, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you're making cider the way great-grandma made it, and possibly with the same piece of equipment. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 8 quarts of apples (about 1/4 bushel)
- Apple corer
- Fruit chopper or large knife
- Enterprise 8-quart sausage stuffer, lard and fruit press
- Small plunger plate
- Interior fruit basket
- Strainer plate
- Container for cider
Instructions
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1
Wash and core the apples.
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2
Run the apples through a fruit chopper, or chop them into small pieces with a knife.
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3
Make sure the plunger plate on the Enterprise is cranked all the way up. Loosen one of the retaining knobs on one side of the press, and swing the cranking mechanism away from the top of the cylinder.
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4
Insert the mesh basket into the cylinder. If you have the original tin basket, place the basket in the cylinder and the straining base into the bottom of the cylinder.
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5
Fill the basket with the chopped apples. Be sure that none of the fruit extends over the edge of the cylinder.
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6
Make sure the small plunger plate is attached to the screw mechanism. Change plates, if necessary, by unscrewing the cog on the underside of the plate, putting the smaller plate over the threaded end of the screw mechanism and retightening the cog.
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Place the cider container under the spout. If the sausage pressing nozzle is attached to the spout, remove it.
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8
Turn the crank clockwise to press the fruit. Continue pressing until you can no longer turn the crank. Watch for juice running out of the spout.
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Tips & Warnings
While the cast-iron cylinder and crank mechanism on the Enterprise can last for centuries, you may be missing smaller parts like the interior basket. Fortunately, there are vendors on line who sell replacement parts for the Enterprise.
If your press is hard to crank, try lubricating it with a thin coat of vegetable shortening or mineral oil.
The Enterprise is built with holes in its feet, so you can bolt it onto your work surface to keep it stable while you're cranking.
An Enterprise press sold for $8.00 back in 1906; as of 2010, they typically sell for around $300 on the antique market.
Keep fingers and clothes well away from the chain and gear assembly on the press.
If the plunger plate doesn't fit through the mesh basket, you've got the larger sausage-stuffing plate attached. Replace it with the smaller plate.
Make certain that all parts of the press that come in contact with fruit are thoroughly cleaned before using it.
Do not use petroleum-based lubricants on the moving parts of the press as they can contaminate the juice.
Once the cranking mechanism has been restored and lubricated, it should not be re-washed with soap. Wipe any food traces away with a damp cloth.
Refrigerate your cider immediately, and drink it within a day or two. Raw unpasteurized cider can begin to ferment very quickly, even under refrigeration.
