Apples, Apples, Apples Then There Was Juice

Slow Food operated a community apple press at Luther Burbank's Experiment Farm in Sebastopol where residents and visitors could bring apples and, for free, make fresh apple juice. Dwight, Katie and I spent part of one Sunday afternoon this month past doing just that. None of us had pressed apples before so it was a wonderful sunny and warm afternoon filled with a new and fun experience.

I had already harvested all of our Newtown Pippin apples from our tree which was not looking very robust. She has since had much love and care earlier in this Fall so perhaps she will be happier next year and produce her usual abundance of apples. Dwight made arrangements for picking Arkansas Black and Granny Smith apples at our neighbor Ruby's property. Ruby had already pressed 10 gallons (yes! gallons!) from her early apples so she was very happy to share her late apples. With all three varietes we had a goodly amount of apples which we loaded up in our car, along with Shasta, of course, and off to Luther Burbank's Experiment Farm in Sebastopol.

Washed Arkansas Black and Granny Smith apples

Ready

Loading the apples for grinding

Arkansas Black apples grinding

Granny Smith apples ready to be pushing into the grinder

Our Yellow Pippin apples, George Washington's 

favorite apple, ready for grinding, too.

Juice from the ginding.

Pulp ready for pressing.

Team work in the pressing for more juice.

Delicious, and very sweet, juice bottled back at MuRefuge.

As you enjoy viewing our awesome event, and perhaps sip some of your own pressed apple juice,