Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Apples Apples Apples pt 2

Cider gurgling away in the pantry

Most are pie filling, some frozen apples
There are 2 boxes in the freezer

There is also a layer next shelf up and
in the deep freezer

Pantry shelf

Apples Apples Apples pt 1

The goal this year was to double the amount of apples we picked 2 years ago.

In 2014 we picked from 3 trees all different.

We made:
6 batches of hard cider,
10 frozen pie fillings,
3 gallons of dried apple chips,
12 pints of applesauce
12 quarts canned spiced cider and
4 gallons frozen cider.
Chris and the girls picking one of the last trees

In 2015 there were no apples.

Buckets of apples were lowered from the roof
at 3 buckets per Rubbermaid bin.
This year we picked from 9 trees

We currently have:
8 batches of hard cider bubbling
18 or so frozen pie fillings,
10 gallons of dried apple chips,
14 quarts + 23 pints of applesauce
24 quarts canned spiced cider
27 gallons frozen cider

plus

4 - 5 gallon buckets of cider hanging out in friends' garage refrigerators that are awaiting a way to store them.

I am confident that we surpassed our goal.

 I think the entire month of October Chris spent 12 hr days picking and processing.  He ate his meals at the cider press.  He even pulled a couple all nighters when the press we rented from the local brew at home store was due back the next morning.

The girls would fill the dehydrator every day.  Between the 3 of us we kept up on housework, garden chores, schoolwork and tried to help him out sorting and crushing.  But mostly it was just Chris and apples.

Now we are trying to finish other projects before the cold weather comes and hopefully make it back to finish the 2 - 55 gallon barrels of apples still waiting to be processed.