Apple Varieties We Didn't Juice This Year

Not every year produces a bumper crop.

These are the varieties in my cider orchard that we didn't include in this year's juice pressing:

Calville Blanc (1598)

Planted in King Louis XIII garden at Orleans in 1627.  Originating in France/Germany around 1598 and grown for Louis XIII, Calville Blanc is higher in Vitamin C than an orange.  Sometimes referred to as the dessert apple of France because it holds up beautifully in baked goods.

I love the color and shape of this apple.  The color is a very pale spring green with a handsomely striking red blush.  The contrast is remarkable.  The shape is described as somewhat "oblate."  As you can see from the second photo taken of the bottom side of the Calville Blanc, it has very pointy indentations that gives it a flattened heart shape.

 Bottom of the Calville Blanc

Calville Blanc (left) compared to a Winter Banana (right)

It has an unusual shape in comparison to modern apples, as it is more oblate than round and has very distinctive ridges toward the bottom.  As you can see it is flatter, wider and shorter, common for the extremely old varieties.

Arkansas Black (1870)

Originated from a Winesap seedling in an orchard in Bentonville Arkansas in 1870.  A beautiful dark red apple, considered to be the best storage apple, keeping all winter.  A winesap is essential in cider.  Arkansas Black needs the Winter Banana for pollination.  This is a lovely deep burgundy apple, appearing to be nearly black in some light.

Ashmead's Kernel (1700s)

An ancient English variety about 300 years old, it was raised by Dr. Thomas Ashmead of Gloucester, England. The flavor has been described as "strong, sweet-sharp intense."  The apple's flavor is intensely strong when first picked, but sweetens and mellows greatly after several weeks in storage.  High sugar content, good acid balance. This variety is most often included in cider making.

Roxbury Russet (1640)

Presumably, the oldest apple variety of North America.  Found in Massachusetts in 1640, thought to have been planted by European immigrants.  Great cooking, cider & keeping apple.   Sugar content is very high (12.87%).  Roxbury Russet is a large apple no longer found on the commercial market.  An excellent keeper until April or May.  A delicious apple for cider.

Very similar to the Golden Russet, although older and perhaps just a little sweeter.

First 5 Gallons

The First Five Gallons Take the Longest

We needed to devise a system that actually produced juice.  

While our little press looked authentically romantic and colonial, its grinder was seriously deficient.  Perhaps if the apples had been very soft and juicy, it may have worked; but when it came to juicing, modern technology saved the day.

At first we tried setting up our Champion Juicer, which produces a no-waste juice that is clearly nutrition packed, but also difficult to filter.

Then we happened upon the perfect solution.  We used the coarse shredding blade of the Cuisinart food processor to shred apples that had been cored and segmented, and then pressed them with the cider press.

We were so thrilled by the first tiny trickle.

After 10 hours of work on Saturday and 7 hours on Sunday, we yielded approximately 13 gallons of apple juice.  

Our friend pressed 5 gallons of grape juice as well. 

Here is the result of the first 5 gallons before the sediment settled out. 

This is how it looked later in the day.

This is two of us at the end of the second day after 17 hours of pressing.  We're exhausted.