The Cider Making Process
It is during the autumn months that the harvested apples from the Pure North apple orchard arrive to start the quintessential English tradition of cider making.
In other areas of the country dessert fruit and cooking apples are used to give sweet and sharp characteristics. The ciders produced from this fruit differ in character from ciders produced using cider apple fruit.
Once collected the apples are brought down from the orchard to our washing area. Here the fruit is hand sorted with any rotten fruit being discarded. The fruit is then gently washed to remove any grass or mud.
The fruit is then fed through the apple mill which pulps the fruit and turns into what we call the pomace, this is then ready to be pressed.
The pulp that is left after the juice has been extracted is fed to local pigs so nothing is wasted.
In springtime we blend the cider and leave for a period of maturation which allows the full flavours and natural characteristics of the cider to develop. All of our ciders are fermented with natural yeasts present on the fruit.