In September 2020 we bought a new smoker, and are having a blast with it!! It has re-invigorated barbecuing, and we’re trying all sorts of things on the smoker. As well as all the meats, fish and shellfish, we’ve smoked vegetables, chocolate chip cookies and Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies!! And we make our own rubs (stay tuned for more posts on our rubs!).
And in September 2021, we tried Smoked Sangrias!!!! 🍷 🍓 🍊 🍋 🍷 WOW!!
We smoked the fruit …
2021-09-09
Then grabbed a jar of our own Sangria …
And joined some friends to share and taste-test!! …
In the Fall of 2019, Brian made us an Apple Press. And after bashin’ apples with the “basher” he made that year, we got a grinder – our arms are happier for it! 😆 We press the apples into cider (we don’t clarify it into “juice”); and we use the term “hard cider” for the alcoholic version. It has been a fabulous way to use our apples!! And one of these years we’ll use our apples to make Hard Cider!!
Cider from the Red Apple Tree
Pick da apples …
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Wash da apples …
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Nice size this year!!! (We did some serious pruning in the Spring, to improve the health of the trees and the size of the apples!) …
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Cut da apples …
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Grind da apples …
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Good mush! …
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Why are we in the screen porch? The wasps were BRUTAL!!!
Then we press da apples …
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Beautiful, golden cider! …
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We got just over 9 L / 9 Qt! We bag it and put it in the freezer unpasteurized. (A couple years ago, we pasteurized and water-bath canned some of the cider … but won’t do it again that way… freezing it unpasteurized is way better for us!) …
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Yum!! …
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Cider from the Green Apple Trees
A week-and-a-half later it was time to tackle the Green Apple Trees! And we moved into the house to avoid the wasps again! This space worked better than the screen porch for this part of the process.
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Grinding away! …
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Pressing still had to happen outside! Why, you ask? Cuz the press Brian made can’t make it through the door! 😂
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We got about 7 L / 7 Qt from the Green Apple Trees ….
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So, why do we say “the Red Apple Trees” and “the Green Apple Trees”? Cuz, we haven’t a clue as to the variety, but we know the colour!! 🤣
We put Brian’s Apple Press to work and pressed our own Apple Cider! The “Red Apple Tree” has sweeter apples than our “Green Apple Trees”…
Pickin’ da apples…
September 11, 2019
Cuttin’ da apples…
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Bashin’ da apples…
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Pressin’ da apples…
September 11, 2019
Yum… fresh apple cider!
September 11, 2019
Jarred for sharing with friends and drinkin’ soon; bagged for the freezer for sharing and enjoying later…
September 11, 2019
Wow! That’s a “hit”!! No comparison to store-bought apple juice (which I don’t really care for too much). This was definitely worth the effort! We got almost 10 L, using most of the apples from the Red Apple Tree!!
Crepes, filled with chocolate chips, and topped with maple syrup, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and a dollop of sour cream!! Served with tea and coffee, and a bouquet of Redtail Rise flowers!!
