Scrumpy!

The crop of apples at Norton Conyers has been bountiful indeed so we decided it might be fun to try and make some cider. Whilst the girls were mowing this morning I picked up hundreds of windfalls to clear the way for the lawn mower but also to select the best ones for juicing. It just so happens that there are many Polish varieties in the garden that aren't that great for eating, they have a rather woolly texture but the taste is fine, so we decided to use those. Meanwhile Giles was hard at work building a press out of odds and sods gleaned around the estate. When all was in readiness we began to pulp by bashing the fruit, of course bits were flying everywhere into our hair and eyes but it was seriously good fun!

We then began the pressing, layering the pulp in cotton sheeting and piling the bundles up about five high before applying the pressure. We were amazed how much juice came out, we managed to fill a five gallon barrel, that's an awful lot of cider if it turns out to be vile! Fingers crossed we end up with something drinkable despite the rather Heath Robinson equipment and the less than five star cleanliness rating. I have high hopes as the juice actually tasted rather good.



"Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful"
Mahatma Gandhi

Look we've nearly got cider!