This week heralded the all-important annual cider making down at Fi & Rich's place The Pools in West Sussex. Apples came in from near and far, with me picking uo about 500 slightly battered ones from one of H's bike chums in the next road (my car reeked), a pile from Anita & Rob next door and then lots from F&R's Sussex chums and The Pools itself.
H got very stuck in, brilliantly managing to create a huge slice in one of his fingers on Day 1 while chopping the apples in half. Spent the rest of the week sporting a plaster inside a rubber glove which has dyed his fingers black. Not a great look..
Fi & I were Chief Scratters – taking the halved / quartered apples and putting them through a moulis-like set of metal biters, so smaller apple mush chunks drop into the big rubber bucket below. This then goes into the turning press and gets squished down so all the juice runs out – to be captured and poured into the magical silver fermenting cylinders.
Three days of H and Rich's hard work, with some assistance from me & Fi and a whopping 105 litres of the precious liquid is now stored in their utility room. And should be ready top drink in 2 months' time – handily around Fi's birthday! I'm not a cider lover, so hoping some might come out like the Cowfold Silly Moo cider, which is the only one I have ever liked!
Anyway – it kept the boys busy and gave those in charge – me & Fi – the chance to do some boat planning as we are off with them this Wednesday for 12 days in Croatia. Cunningly avoiding the suddenly-Autumnlike weather until we get back on 7th Oct.
Hopefully no downward water spouts, broken anchors or engines this trip – just smooth sailing all the way, fingers crossed x