Tweet
Probably not the right time of year for this, but as I've mentioned before I've only just worked out how to get my photos onto pootah 
Ok, so last autumn we had a huge amount of apples, our own and donated. My OH, being a West Country boy, decided the best thing to do would be to make zydol (cider...) with them, but we had no equipment except basic buckets, barrels & demi-johns. We looked everywhere for cheap presses, but even on e-bay the prices were ridiculous. So we tried a juicer (then a friends super-juicer), but the pulp was still coming out soggy - what a waste of juice!
So then OH found some plans on t'internet for a press made with a car-jack and a light-bulb flicked on above his head...he headed for the garage and dragged out...A WORKMATE!
This is how we now get juice from our apples;
1. Chop the apples
2. Put them through mincer on Kenwood, using coarse disc.
3. Half fill 'jelly bags'* with resulting pulp
4. Put half full jelly bag, with top twisted round and down, between 2 thick (earthenware?) plates.
5. Put plates carefully in Workmate, and tighten gradually til juice stops dripping into sterilised bucket.
6. Loosen Workmate carefully, remove plates, empty dry pulp for composting, start again.
This may seem very long-winded but if 2 of you are doing it, it soon gets into a steady flow, and as most apples are ready Autumnish it's nice to do on an evening when the sprogs have disappeared for the night!
Hope this all makes sense!
Ok, so last autumn we had a huge amount of apples, our own and donated. My OH, being a West Country boy, decided the best thing to do would be to make zydol (cider...) with them, but we had no equipment except basic buckets, barrels & demi-johns. We looked everywhere for cheap presses, but even on e-bay the prices were ridiculous. So we tried a juicer (then a friends super-juicer), but the pulp was still coming out soggy - what a waste of juice!
So then OH found some plans on t'internet for a press made with a car-jack and a light-bulb flicked on above his head...he headed for the garage and dragged out...A WORKMATE!
This is how we now get juice from our apples;
1. Chop the apples
2. Put them through mincer on Kenwood, using coarse disc.
3. Half fill 'jelly bags'* with resulting pulp
4. Put half full jelly bag, with top twisted round and down, between 2 thick (earthenware?) plates.
5. Put plates carefully in Workmate, and tighten gradually til juice stops dripping into sterilised bucket.
6. Loosen Workmate carefully, remove plates, empty dry pulp for composting, start again.
This may seem very long-winded but if 2 of you are doing it, it soon gets into a steady flow, and as most apples are ready Autumnish it's nice to do on an evening when the sprogs have disappeared for the night!
Hope this all makes sense!
I'm surprised the plates didn't crack though!
Comment