It all starts with having apple trees. We had twenty of them — all different varieties — Cortland, MacIntosh, Haralson, Honeycrisp, Honeygold, and a few varieties like Sweet Sixteen, Liberty, and Winesap.
In the spring, they flower. We hoped for two things during this time: no snowstorms and warm enough temperatures for the bees to be active and pollinate the trees. If we were lucky enough to get both, apples would grow in large amounts.
By mid-September, it was time to harvest the apples every year for a dozen years. Bucket after bucket was picked. One five-gallon bucket of apples is needed to make one gallon of cider. (Now you know why cider is expensive.)
I write about the environment, education, nature, and travel. Having two master's degrees, in nursing and environmental education, I am a teacher at heart.
