Tradition!

Fall is the time to be a Roses. Roses love the fall season. It probably helps that Laurel's favorite color is orange, holiday: Halloween. Brandon's especially favorite tradition is making cider with his great great grandmother's cider press. No joke. This thing is the real deal and very old. I finally got to participate this year.

It begins with picking a ton of apples. Brandon drove around and found random apple trees on property lining the roads in our Corvallis area, asked the owners if we could pick the apples and then we cleaned the tree dropping the apples straight into the truck.

Next, we cut the apples in half to make the crushing process easier. We picked the perfect day to do it this year; it was warm and sunny, which is a rare find mid-October in Oregon.

The apples are then dumped into the top part while someone hand cranks the crusher, turning the apples into mush/pulp.

When the unit is full of crushings, a round wooden disc, attached to a screw-like rod, is placed on top and pressed down by twisting the rod. Here, Dave is using a long board as a handle to twist.

The juice is then pressed out of the mush and sweet apple nectar goodness (called Apple Cider) comes out and is stored in 16 milk jugs or given as gifts. And let me tell you, home made is even better than the store bought stuff (and not just because it cost nothing but labor).

Mom and Dad got to help out, as well; they had a lot of fun. As did we all!