Clarkdale is the first fruit farm we ever went to, but you will also get to visit the Apex farm, and the West County Cider house here. First we tried to make choices of apples for us at Clarkdale. Very difficult. They have 40 types of apples, but they have pears, peaches (yum), nectarines and plums.  We enjoy these many flavors, but on Cider Days we get to see how cider is made.

Here a crowd is preparing to see how cider is made.  You’ll see the special equipment that OESCO designed and is being used and the work goes well.

How cider is made

The equipment is not large but it  works quickly to make cider. The ‘machine’ on the right grinds up the apples and they fall into the big pail. It happens quickly. The mashed apples are then poured down into the ‘machine’ on the left. It takes several pails of mashed apple to fill that ‘machine’ full to the top. Then it is closed and and the apple juice is squished out of the mashed apples.  We would have loved to see more about how it all works, but we were off to see more cider.

I bought apples from Apex Orchard for many years, but the view  from the shop was nothing like this. A few years ago Apex built a new building to hold their many kinds of apples, and other goodies to add to good things to eat.

Hard to choose from the 40 type/flavors of Apex apples.

There is a lot to enjoy at the Apex Orchard store!

Judith Maloney has been making  West County Cider for many years. Nowadays, with her son Field, they are making their hard cider right across from the Apex Orchard building. In addition to offering hard cider on  that beautiful day, there was a lecture, and little oysters were offered. On our way out with our Ciders we watched the Morris Dancers beginning to arrange their equipment which promised a lot of fun.

It’s been a great cider year!