I bought a gallon jug of cider once. I had it in the kitchen of my grandmother's house. One morning, woke up and found that the jug had exploded, the neck and the cap left a dent in the ceiling. Sticky glass was all over the floor. It was a mess to clean up.
Cider making time at the ol' homestead.
- Thread starter Mule Packer
- Start date
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
I enjoyed your whole story, Ken, but the part about the dried fruit fried pies put me into serious time travel.
I love all pretty much all dried fruit, but especially apricots and peaches. I've been known to combine the two in a conventional baked pie, but I've never tried making fried pies the way my grandmother used to. Apricot sounds fantastic.
Now I'm wondering how apricot and prune, or apricot and dried mango, would work.
Damn.
Ole Joe Clark
Absent Comrade
Great story and photos. Dried apples make great fried apple pies! Have some in the freezer now.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
Have a blessed day,
Leon
Im sure that prune will keep you close to home. [emoji1]
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I enjoyed your whole story, Ken, but the part about the dried fruit fried pies put me into serious time travel.
I love all pretty much all dried fruit, but especially apricots and peaches. I've been known to combine the two in a conventional baked pie, but I've never tried making fried pies the way my grandmother used to. Apricot sounds fantastic.
Now I'm wondering how apricot and prune, or apricot and dried mango, would work.
Damn.
Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk
kthom
Member
I enjoyed your whole story, Ken, but the part about the dried fruit fried pies put me into serious time travel.
I love all pretty much all dried fruit, but especially apricots and peaches. I've been known to combine the two in a conventional baked pie, but I've never tried making fried pies the way my grandmother used to. Apricot sounds fantastic.
Now I'm wondering how apricot and prune, or apricot and dried mango, would work.
Damn.
I really can't imagine any dried fruit pie that wouldn't be a treat! For me, using the dried fruit takes a fried pie to an entirely diffferent level. I'm sure it would do the same for a conventional baked pie. One caution about dried fruit, if you like it well and are not very careful, it's possible to eat about a half of bushel of the fresh stuff after it's dried before you know it. Besides the sugar overdose you'll get, it will also likely lubricate your digestive track with not so pleasant results. Use caution!! Good fried pies are nearly as dangerous!!!
kthom, how true. I once went through a bag of dried apricots on a tour bus where the unbreakable rule is "the bathroom is only for #1."
Lesson learned.
Lesson learned.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
caduceus
US Veteran
Makes me remember a passage from the Fox Fire series of books which as I understand was interviews with elderly folks who lived in the Appalachian region. Essentially how they made all sorts of food.tools.guns etc. Documenting their way of life. A elderly man was explaining how they made apple butter. Asked him how it tasted. Best compliment I ever heard , "if you put a dab on your forehead your tongue will slap your brains out trying to get a taste".
AJ
US Veteran
A friend of mine in Western Pa. will be picking up 30 quarts of fresh home made apple butter at a Gas & Steam Engine Society Meet next weekend.
caduceus
US Veteran
AJ let's us know how it tasted
snowman
Member
Mule Packer,
Wonderful post & pictures. That's the kind of tradition that will give your granddaughters fond memories of home and family many years from now. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I'd be interested to hear a bit about the restoration required on your equipment, if you have a few minutes to spare.
[An expression of appreciation to some other members contributing to the discussion: Thanks for the GI-related humor -it made my otherwise miserable day(down with a roaring headache)].
Regards to all,
Andy
Wonderful post & pictures. That's the kind of tradition that will give your granddaughters fond memories of home and family many years from now. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I'd be interested to hear a bit about the restoration required on your equipment, if you have a few minutes to spare.
[An expression of appreciation to some other members contributing to the discussion: Thanks for the GI-related humor -it made my otherwise miserable day(down with a roaring headache)].
Regards to all,
Andy
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AJ
US Veteran
caduceus,
I would but I do not like it. We will be there in two weeks and about half of it will be coming down here as presents for folks here. Will let you know what the consensus is on the quality.
AJ
OP
The bucket is made of oak. The slats are pieces of oak flooring. The supports are all fir. The hopper is just plywood. I finished everything with a finish that is made exclusively for wood that will be contacting food. It seals things up fairly well. I wish I could remember what the stuff was called. I got it from one of the industrial arts professors at the university where I worked. The frame that holds the press was made from 4-inch channel iron.
The cider doesn't pick up any flavor from the wood. Of course, we wash everything thoroughly with boiling water before and after pressing. Also, the wood is sealed with the magical food-safe stuff, so that protects the wood, too.
When I got what was left of the press over thirty years ago, it was just a pile of rotted wood and rusted cast iron. I replaced all the wood, buffed off the rust from the cast iron, rebuilt the bucket completely and got a piece of Acme screw that came from a lumber mill.
Anyway, it turned out okay and has been doing a great job for over three decades now.
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Ole Joe Clark
Absent Comrade
Great photo, but that big ole husky boy of yours might spring that 4" channel.
Enjoyed the story.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
The cider around here is hard to get unless you know somebody
who makes it. No longer legal to sell unless it is pasturized. This
amounts to apple juice. There were lots of orchards that sold to
the grocery stores and all had road side stands. Big Brother looking out for us. Same thing happened with Sassafras root. It
was in all the stores in early spring and was outlawed as a health
hazard.
who makes it. No longer legal to sell unless it is pasturized. This
amounts to apple juice. There were lots of orchards that sold to
the grocery stores and all had road side stands. Big Brother looking out for us. Same thing happened with Sassafras root. It
was in all the stores in early spring and was outlawed as a health
hazard.
Jeff423
US Veteran
My brother in Maine has a grinder for the first step in cider making. Not having any kids around he rigged it to a sprocket on the rear wheel of his bike and ground the apples by peddling for a few years. Last year he went to a 1/3 hp motor and said that he wished he had done it several years ago.
Old Arkansawyer
Member
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I like this post with the grand kids making lifetime memories. I still
remember riding my grandpas mule as it turned the sorghum mill.
Grandpa let me taste the syrup as it come off of the cooker. Also
remember my grandma making hominy in a cast iron wash pot and
mixing in wood ash with the corn. Grandpa passed away when I was
six, so those memories were when I was 4 & 5, over 60 years ago.
So, keep up the good work of making those memories for your loved ones.
BTW, I also like your hat.
remember riding my grandpas mule as it turned the sorghum mill.
Grandpa let me taste the syrup as it come off of the cooker. Also
remember my grandma making hominy in a cast iron wash pot and
mixing in wood ash with the corn. Grandpa passed away when I was
six, so those memories were when I was 4 & 5, over 60 years ago.
So, keep up the good work of making those memories for your loved ones.
BTW, I also like your hat.
We use to put hay wagon behind the tractor and load kids on
with feed sacks and go down in woods to gather walnuts &
hickory nuts in the fall. We had a old corn sheller rigged to a
pulley and motor to knock the husks off walnuts. We did same
thing with apples and pears. Load kids in the truck and run the
back roads to old abandoned farms and load up. My wife would
can apples for pies and make spiced pears & apples.
with feed sacks and go down in woods to gather walnuts &
hickory nuts in the fall. We had a old corn sheller rigged to a
pulley and motor to knock the husks off walnuts. We did same
thing with apples and pears. Load kids in the truck and run the
back roads to old abandoned farms and load up. My wife would
can apples for pies and make spiced pears & apples.
Fall in.....
Fall in a cup.
Fall in a cup.
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