Hey everyone! I have two crabapple trees in my yard and was wondering if they are ready to press. The seeds are brown but they aren’t all red yet? Are they ok to start or should I wait?
Newbie here- are my apples ready?
- Thread starter Jchamb
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- cider crabapple cider
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cottonwoodks
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I'm interested in the answer to this question too. I started pressing my apples a couple weeks ago because I was afraid they were going to rot (they were all windfall apples), but the ones I pressed this past weekend yielded way more juice, and had a higher SG.
I’m not an orchardist but I would let them stay on vine for as long as possible, depending on variety.
Pick them as they fall and store them cold if possible. I’ve read lots of info about how cider makers “sweat” their apples for a couple of reasons; to let them develop sugars and for convenience.
If you haven’t already, purchase a refractometer and measure the brix or sg. They’re fairly inexpensive on amazon. I believe less than $15 or so.
I’ve been pressing my own apples for three seasons and when I purchase apples I let them sweat in my garage if it’s cool enough. If not I cram them into my keezer for a few weeks. Some varieties will actually develop more flavors after picking such as ashmeads etc.. there’s no risk involved, except for rotting apples but that’s easy to monitor.
Good luck
Pick them as they fall and store them cold if possible. I’ve read lots of info about how cider makers “sweat” their apples for a couple of reasons; to let them develop sugars and for convenience.
If you haven’t already, purchase a refractometer and measure the brix or sg. They’re fairly inexpensive on amazon. I believe less than $15 or so.
I’ve been pressing my own apples for three seasons and when I purchase apples I let them sweat in my garage if it’s cool enough. If not I cram them into my keezer for a few weeks. Some varieties will actually develop more flavors after picking such as ashmeads etc.. there’s no risk involved, except for rotting apples but that’s easy to monitor.
Good luck
