Cider Making at Victoria Cottage.
basil | 5/8/2006 | 8:13 am
Cider Making at Victoria Cottage, Lower Broadheath 1900’s.
Cider Making.
During first part of the 20’th century, Cider was made on farms in vast quantities. Farming was labour intensive at this time and workers would expect a ration of cider to be provided as part of their condition of employment. The cider jar would accompany the farmworker on every task.
Cider is made from apples, ideally a mixture of sweet and very sour even crab apples to provide the tannin could be added.
To make good cider the fruit should be ripe and left to soften for a few days, adding bruised apples does not detract from quality of final product.
You then crush the fruit, this could be done with a Donkey pulling a round stone in a circular trough, or by using a cider mill to pulp the apples.
This pulp was then wrapped in coarse cloth to form Cheeses, then placed on the press to extract the liquid.
Sometimes up to 50% water was added, the cider was then put into sealed barrels and left to ferment.
Cider Making at Lower Howsen, Cotheridge 1900’s.
