Apples and Cider in Your Classroom (1 hour)

Learn some apple lore while sampling varieties of apples to discover their varying tastes and characteristics.  Press and drink your own fresh apple cider.  Learn how the harvest is preserved while sampling apple butter and dried apples.

Sampling Apple Varieties (1/2 hour)

The instructor will set up several varieties of apples, the apple peeler-corer, and an apple cider grinder and press in front of the students.  While learning apple lore for the varieties being tasted, students will also learn that apple seeds are the tree’s way of creating new varieties of apples and how the technique of grafting is used to create more trees of the same variety and how scientists experiment to create apple varieties.  Students will take turns helping to either turn the handle of the apple peeler-corer machine or to pass out the apple pieces to their classmates.  Students will be able to compare and contrast the tastes of the different varieties of apples for sweet vs. tart, crisp vs. soft, and juicy vs. dry.

The apple cider grinder and press set up in the classroom will be used in teaching students how apple cider is made.  The purpose and parts of the grinder and press will be explained.  Students will then be oriented to the jobs and safety rules of using the machine.  Students will then have the opportunity to assist the instructor in making apple cider by washing and dropping apples into the machine, turning the handle to grind the apples, and turning the handle to press the apples.  After all of the work is complete, the students will be able to sample the fresh apple cider they just made!  Students will also observe and learn the uses of the “leftover” apple pieces called pommace.

*The apples used in cider making are sanitized.  The apple cider machine is sanitized daily to reduce the chance of bacterial contamination.  Groups wishing to have their cider sample pasteurized to further reduce the chance of contamination must inform the Indian Rock Nature Preserve of this request at the time of booking the program so pasteurized cider can be prepared for your tour.  Groups requesting pasteurized cider will not sample the cider they make.  The cider made by these groups will be saved and pasteurized for another group.

Apples & Cider Vocabulary