cider mill
Alstede Farms Cider Mill
Our cider is pressed right here in the cider mill with our own apples. Get a peek at the various stages of pressing apple cider.
Group tours to the cider mill will open as guidelines permit.
Alstede Farms’ Own Local Apple Cider
Apples Being Sent Up to the Grinder
Our own cider mill is a unique operation here at Alstede Farms! We create our delicious fresh tasting local apple cider right here on our farm. We start the process with a variety of our own local fresh picked apples. We use different apple varieties to develop a complex flavor in our cider – not too tart and not too sweet. The apples are graded, inspected, washed, and sent up a conveyer to a grinder that makes an “apple mash.” The mash is then pressed by our rack and cloth press to squeeze out that tasty golden liquid. From there the cider is put in bulk storage at 38°F to keep it fresh. Before bottling, the cider is passed by an Ultra Violet (UV) light (also called cold pasteurization) to remove any bacteria which creates a healthier product with extended shelf life.
Finally, the cider is bottled right here on our farm in the cider mill. We offer gallon, half gallon, and pint sized bottles. Our cider is pressed weekly from September through the end of our harvest season. Check our hours of operations page to see when public tours are available. We press anywhere from 200 – 500 gallons at each pressing. Cider mill tours are available as guidelines permit. Please inquire if interested.
The entire cider making process on our farm is another example of our dedication to sustainable practices that protect our environment and enhance the natural resources on our farm. The apples that are used to make the cider are comprised of off grade, drops, and consumer rejected apples which are fit in every way…but just don’t look as pretty as perfect ones. If not used for cider they would otherwise be wasted. Further, all of the rinse water from the cider making process is collected in a large storage tank and then re-utilized for irrigation on the farm. In addition, apples that don’t make the grade to be included in the cider are fed to our livestock while the apple pumice that remains after pressing is used to add organic matter to our production fields. Our consistent goal is to eliminate all food waste on our farm and our apple cider mill is but one example of how we are achieving that goal.
Our own delicious local apple cider is exclusively available at our Chester farm store, our farm stands, in our CSA club, or at any of our farmers markets located in northern NJ.
visit our hours of operation page for availability of cider mill tours. Get a peek at the various stages of pressing apple cider.
