It’s been a hectic month of rest at Steilhead Cider culminating in our annual wassail. The audio is a bit muffled but here I am addressing our favourite tree before we adorn it with toast. Yes, toast, the good orchard fairies’ favourite snack.
First market of 2025 tomorrow at Dumfries Farmers' Market. Last minute notice, I know, but come along and see me if you can!
It’s taken three years but I’ve finally got the Cider-dog to drive the ATV safely. Here she is taking the last of the Sweet Alfords and Golden Bittersweets to the cider barn for me. Unfortunately, I can’t leave her to gather the apples on her own as she has trouble tying the sacks, what with having no thumbs, so I have to do that for her. But she’s still a great help. Next year, I’m hoping she’ll be able to run our stall at Dumfries Farmers' Market so that Mrs Cider and I can enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning occasionally.
It’s Dumfries Farmers' Market tomorrow, don’t forget.
We have some very odd people helping at Steilhead Cider sometimes. I don’t know what’s wrong with them but I suppose they do help a bit. I try not to talk to them too much, tbh.
But I’m looking forward to Sunday’s Dumfries Farmers' Market - over 30 stalls, including cheese, fresh fish and fresh coffee all at the same market on the same day! Get out of town!
We’ll be there, of course, and we’ll have our beloved MULLED CIDER and MULLED JUICE back on sale as it’s the run-up to Ch******s again.
First person not in the video to come up with the hidden movie reference in the above drivel gets a free apple.
And soooo another day of cider-making starts. A shame it’s so dry, though - yesterday was perfect.
A nice cheese of Stoke Reds yielding its nectar. And a happy wasp.
Soo…. I have failed to arrange good weather for tomorrow’s Cider Experience experience, in fact it looks like it may be 💩, but cider-makers are a hardy/stupid bunch and we’re going ahead with it anyway! If you’re booked in, don’t 🐔 out, come and experience the reality of artisanal life as a cider drinker, er, maker I mean.
Our annual identification parade is starting to fill up. Can you spot the new one?
This is my Ball’s Bittersweet tree, one of five cider varieties we planted near the house. My Morgan Sweet has been picked, my Stoke Red, Yarlington Mill and Tom Putt are all still holding onto their apples, but at last my Ball’s are dropping.
Full house at Dumfries Farmers' Market this morning! Well over 30th aiders and a good turn-out of local food-lovers.
The trouble with being a cider-maker is that you have to work in some horrible places.
The aforementioned Emneth Earlies and Morgan Sweets yielding their juice on our fancy-Dan hydraulic press. I was expecting the juice, after the miserable summer we’ve all endured, to be cheek-shrivellingly tart but it’s surprisingly sweet, actually.
Sunday will see us adorning Kirkcudbright Farmers' Market again. Beautiful weather guaranteed and a cornucopia of crafts and comestibles on offer as ever. Don’t miss it!
And so it all starts again! The first of around a thousand bushels of apples meets a sticky end; mostly Emneth Earlies and Morgan Sweets in this case, destined to be not cider, but apple juice. They’re both slightly angular varieties with waxy skins and prone to jamming in the mill. Being a bit rusty myself, after ten months of not milling apples, this is exactly what I allowed them to do.
Ready for action at dumfriesshow and it’s looking like a lovely day of sunshine, twittering birds and massive great tractors, so what’s not to like?