Cider time!

How do you celebrate the end of a 13,000 pound picking season? By having another work event! Once again the Gleaners had a great time turning 2000 pounds of apples into about 120 gallons of cider distributed over 30 volunteers. Excess cider (about 40 gallons) was delivered to the Port Townsend Schools. Excess mash went to compost piles.

The annual event has settled into a easy routine of work stations:

1. Stacking the boxes of apples
2. Washing and editing the apples for bad spots
3. Chipping them into a mash
4. Wrapping the mash in cloth and then pressing to extract the cider
5. Bottling (or bucketing) up the juice.
6. And of course CLEAN UP and distributing boxes of spent apple mash.

Young Gleaners brought their families which made for great pictures and fun. It's good to see the next generation learning how to enjoy the bounty that grows around us.

Older Gleaners brought dishes made with the fruit gleaned earlier this year creating a delightful spread of taste treats you'll never find anywhere else. All enjoyed with a glass of fresh cider, of course.

Thank you Gleaners for climbing the ladders, toting the boxes, and delivering fresh fruit to our community.