Fall In The Catskills Starts With Apple Cider

Every fall, my mom pulls out her apple press, and her backyard turns into our own little cider-making operation.

It’s one of our favorite ways to kick off the season.

First, the apples. We watch the trees and wait for just the right time, usually after a few good, chilly nights. Some years, Mom’s backyard or our farm trees give us plenty. Other years, we make a trip to the farm or local market to supplement.

The apples don’t need to be perfect, and honestly, the ones straight off the tree rarely look like the shiny ones at the grocery store. They just need to be good apples. We wash them, cut them, toss out the bad ones, and get ready to press.

And then the real fun begins.

My brothers bring their kids, my cousin comes up from the city with hers, our friends join, and before long, the backyard is full of little helpers who are VERY excited about turning the wheel.

There’s something about watching those apples go down into the press and seeing the juice come pouring out that makes the whole process feel like magic. Everyone wants a turn to help.

Of course, there’s a lot more to it than turning a wheel.

We’re washing and cutting apples, loading the press, cranking it down, collecting the juice, and doing it all over again until we’ve worked through the apples. It’s a labor of love, and by the time we’re done, we’ve earned every last drop.

Then a quick boil on the stove and it’s ready to enjoy. Fresh, warm, and bursting with that crisp, sweet-tart apple flavor, it tastes like fall in a cup. There is something about that first warm sip that you just don’t forget

Somehow, what started as a Sunday afternoon in Grandma’s backyard has become a little event. Everyone knows it’s coming, everyone has a job, and now my kids actually ask, “When are we doing cider pressing at Grandma’s?”

And that’s when you realize you’ve created something bigger than a day of making cider. You made it a tradition. You made it something they look forward to. You made a memory they already want to repeat.

The kids are still buzzing around the press, everyone has had a turn at the wheel, and the backyard is full of people, apples, and the smell of fresh cider. It’s a little chaotic and a lot of work, but somehow, this is what the beginning of fall tastes like to us.