9th October 2007 – the Juicing continues. (Tuesday)

Today was a long day, filled with work, and gutty work at that – but for all that it was really enjoyable. Today was chopping apples for the juice making process. My job was to wash the apples (after Mama had given them a cusory wash) thoroughly, then chop them in halves and cut out any bruises etc. I honestly don’t think I want to know how many apples I cut today, but it was a lot. From the chopping they get put through a mulcher (looks like a regular garden mulcher – but obviously it’s only been used for food stuff) and then through the press. The press is an impressive little beast – I don’t know whether it really IS old, or just looks like it – the barrel is oak (as every good barrel should be J) and the pressing is mechanical – ie by hand. The juice out of the pressed pulp is then brought to the boil (which prolongs its shelf life considerably) and bottled. Naturally enough throughout this process there is the testing of the product and though it may be hard to believe that apple juice can bring on raptures – this stuff really can. It’s amazingly good. Has everything to do with the apples themselves of course – most of the juice is from Cox-Orange Apples – which I don’t think we get in Australia, but I know my parents remember them fondly.

This holiday has already been dubbed the “Keller-urlaub” (celler-holiday) by Mama. I think she thinks that I might have had something else in mind as a break from work, and maybe she’s right – but it’s not bad at all, I must say.
I think they only actual frustration I’m fighting right now, is the knowledge there there is internet connection here at the house, that I can’t use. It’s only a old dial-up service and without setting everything up on my laptop, it won’t work. Which for this blog is better – because I really only want to put it up when I can put the photos with it – but I’d like to check my emails, since I still don’t know whether Marketa has managed to get the time off work to come next weekend or not