Go through the gate...
...with a burlap sack...
...and fill it with as many apples as you can carry.
Take your apples and your crate of well-washed wine bottles to the place...
...where the magic happens.
Get your apples ready...
...for sorting and washing.
And when they are glistening wet and squeaky clean, feed them,
one by one or in handfuls, to the Gobbler.
A few may tumble to the ground. Never mind.
The important thing is the pulp the Gobbler spits out,
for that is what goes in the press, is layered and stacked, and is then weighted down.
Great strength (or just great determination) squeezes every last drop of juice from the pulp.
Cloudy amber streams forth, to be collected in waiting buckets...
...or in waiting cups. First press. Sweet nectar. Liquid gold.
Don't worry - there's enough to go round.
You may bring apples enough to fill jugs and barrels.
Or you may only fill bottles.
The fire is lit; the cauldrons are filled.
Crate by crate, immerse the bottles in the boiling water. Four minutes at 80C: Pasteurisation.
While the bottles cool, sweep, brush and wash away all traces of your day's work.
And if you can't be bothered with all that effort, you could always just buy a bottle or two.
Wow! What a fun process! Did it just take a day? I would love to do that!
ReplyDeleteYes, we did all this in one long afternoon! It was the most fun I've had in a long time!
ReplyDelete