Apple Pressing

Today was an "apple day".  My parents have an apple tree in their back yard that is LOADED with apples.  My dad is out there morning, noon and night picking up the apples that have fallen on the ground.  Today, we thought we'd take some of those apples and put them in the apple press to make apple juice.

We started a 5 gallon bucket of apples - washed.

We cut the apples into fourths.

My dad and my husband prepared the press by lining it with fabric mesh to keep the apples and pulp in and let the juice out.

Then, in went the sliced apples.

My husband put the top on the press then started the process of "pressing" it onto the apples.

Even my daughter got into the act.

Little by little, as the apples were pressed, juice trickled out the bottom.

Here's my daughter with our apple juice bounty.

My mom boiled the juice for about 5 minutes, then she let it cool before putting it into a jug.  As you can see, a lot of apples makes a little juice!  My dad measured it - 4 cups!

It may not have given us a lot of juice but boy did it give us a lot of laughs!  What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."  -Robert H. Schuller