Making soft cider then making it hard

SWMBO just got a kitchenaid stand mixer and got me a fruit strainer to go with it. Can I use it to make cider from apples from local orchards with it?

Of course! Try and get a variety of apples - some sweet, some bittersweet, as this is what will change the taste of your cider massively. You'll need about 16lbs of apples per gallon, apparently - be sure to remove the seeds. I think skins are fine but not 100% sure!

You'll probably want to boil the apple juice you collect slightly to remove any bacteria.

I've got a book on making cider from orchards, so let me know if you want any recipes

never boil your cider, you don't need to fear infection until after fermentation. cooking it is worse than unnecessary; you will change the flavor to applesaucy and set the pectins in the juice resulting in permanently cloudy cider. i don't know what your mixer setup is but if it is going to pulverize the seeds (and release the somewhat nasty stuff inside) then you might consider removing them, but if not then use the whole apple. presses give the best yield and the tastiest juice, juicers work well if they don't mash the seeds. bear in mind cider has been made from whole pressed uncooked unpasteurized apples for centuries.

Not to be a damper, but you may not want to use it for apples. Don't want to burn out the motor and sleep in the dog house. Instead, you may want to look at a sink grinder setup that people do. Just due to the quantity and texture of the apples.

However, you could consider it for other fruit (raspberries, strawberries... even peaches minus the stone.

Though, if anyone else has used it long term for apples before, and says yes, then great!

Don't boil the juice you get as said above. If you feel the need to do anything other than add yeast to it, you could sulfite it 24 hours before you pitch the yeast, but it isn't necessary.

doh.

I wouldn't use a KitchenAid for grinding apples, esp if you doing a lot of apples. Check out craigslist (or jaxed.com and then search antiques/cider press or apple press or wine press) and buy a real apple/grape press. You might be able to find one cheap enough and it will last forever.

If you use your KA mixer, you'll ruin it and if you boil your cider, you'll ruin that too.

Want hard apple cider that you freeze