Garden Bears' World - A Surplus of Apples

 

When we haven't been going for walks or having boating adventures, we have tried to be helpful bears about the house and in the garden.  

This year, we had a very good harvest of apples.  Some of them keep well for eating fresh or baking, but the Discovery apples won't stay nice for long, so Polar bought a press so she could get the juice out of them.

Hanley Bear helped to chop the apples in half, to check for rotten bits and insect damage, and washed the barrel of the press - Polar says it helps to make it wet, so the wood doesn't soak up the apple juice!

Then we helped to put all the pieces together.  There is a stand, with a hole to screw in the central spindle, then the barrel goes on with a bag for the apple to stop big bits getting into the juice.

To get the most juice out, the apples need to be broken into very small pieces.  Polar uses a rubber mallet to smash them up, or sometimes puts them in a plastic bag and treads on it!  I had a go with the mallet, but it was rather heavy for me and the smaller bears couldn't lift it at all.

When we had smashed enough apples to almost fill the bag, it was time to attach the pressing gear - although juice was already running out of the pulp - and it smelled delicious!

Hanley and Endon put the first two blocks on.  These cover the whole of the top of the barrel.  Then there are some blocks of wood that push these down.  These go on top rather like a Jenga game.

Hanley Bear decided this was science, so a job for him.  He piled up the blocks and then, with Polar's help, fitted the handle to the press.  

Balancing very carefully, he gave the handle a few turns, but it was soon too hard for a small bear to push it any further, and Polar took over.

A barrel of pulp makes about a litre of apple juice.  We put one bottle in the fridge, to enjoy with breakfast, then pressed two more loads, which Polar has frozen, so we can enjoy it for a few more weeks.

'And I have just the thing for disposing of the pulp!' she said.

I will tell you all about what that is in our next Garden Bears' World.