DRINKS

Pressing Cider

On October 13, 2023 by

The small suburb of Los Angeles where I spent my youth was a bedroom community with nice plots and manicured front lawns. Children were everywhere and we all seemed to be just about the same age. Most everyone was a transplant from the East or Midwest, so to stave off suburban boredom, our moms would conspire; making plans for treks to the beach, the mountains, the desert, museums, theme parks, and everything in between. A favorite place which was annual event (including the time I had a terrible toothache and was being melodramatic in the back of the station wagon) was what we called Apple Country. It has been over 30 years, but I’ve been chasing the memories ever since.

I am someone who cannot resist (and why should I?) a long country road, a farmstand, or a run-down shack with a hand-lettered sign selling ANYTHING. If it is open, I’m stopping; apple farms included. Freshly pressed cider and warm donuts made with it is a fall treat that everyone should be so lucky to come upon.

We are not an apple farm. We grow apples, but none more than to press for our use and to make the odd batch of donuts or two. Sometimes our neighbors will off load a few tons of fallen fruit for us to feed our pigs; and truth be told we skim off the mildly bruised and press those into juice as well. We have our own small press and it is a handcrafted machine that I, with just a few hours of bending, twisting, and turning, can turn a dozen pecks of apples into gallons of cider. We pull it out Mid-October, and return it to storage by Thanksgiving.

While the act of pressing cider isn’t quite as magical as an outing with neighbors eating apple pie, donuts, ice cream, butter, and cider made by someone else’s hand without any concern of calories or affect, it brings me joy. Through the course of fall, I will make all of the things and I will eat all of the same; just not in one sitting.

BREADS & BREAKFAST

Apple Fritters

On December 7, 2014 by

Mike planted 20 plus varieties of apples in our orchard. We have pie apples, sauce apples, snack apples, brandy apples and cider apples. To further the cause, our neighbor also grows a variety in her orchard. We are not starved for apples from late spring to early winter. Today, in the dense of early morning mist and chill, I picked the trees clean. Bushels and bushels of apples. A workout and a treat! These apples are slated for hard cider. I’m still gathering all of the supplies, but I will be pressing the apples this week, and starting the fermentation process straight away. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. With any luck it won’t end up like the root beer project of 2005. Spoiler alert, it ended with me in a delightfully rich, if not sticky, bath.
While you (and I) are waiting for the results of the cider…you may want to try making these delicious apple fritters.

apple fritters

Apple Fritters

for the apples
1 cup apples–cut in a 1/4″ dice
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
pinch cardamom
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
mix together in a bowl and let sit while you do your preparations
for the batter
1 cup apple cider
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs unsalted butter–melted
2 large eggs
oil for frying
Simmer the apple cider on the stove until it is reduced to 1/4 cup, and let cool. Heat your oil in a sturdy deep pot, to 360F. Your oil should be deep enough so the fritter can float, but you must also have at least 3″ between the top of the pot and the top of the oil. Meanwhile, place all your dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center and pour in milk, vanilla, butter, cider and eggs. Slowly stir together, making sure all ingredients are incorporated, but do not beat. Stir in the apple and any juices that may have accumulated. you can make these small or big, the process is the same. Drop into hot oil and then using a spatula poke it a few times to flatten it a bit and give it some nooks and crannies. Fry until golden brown, then flip and continue until both sides are equally colored. Remove from oil and place on a cooling rack, placed over a sheet pan.
for the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs (more or less) cider
Mix together in a shallow bowl. When the fritters are still warm, but not too hot to touch, dip in the glaze.