Horticulture in Arkansas

My favorite time of the year is harvest! That's the time when the apples are ready to be picked for cider making.

I searched for apple varieties like Arkansas Black, Enterprise, Gold Rush, Ben Davis, Falawater, Lady, and Newton Pippin. The apple blend resulted in a high sugar, however low tannin, cider. The older varieties of apples were not as plentiful to have an impact on the dryness of this year's drink.

As for equipment, I purchased a 1/2 horsepower garbage disposal to use as a grinder. It worked well; however, it did overheat a few times as it was powering through 3 1/2 bushels of apples. For the second year in a row, we used our hands to press the mash rather than a machine. I haven't quite had the time or resources to build a proper press.
Cutting Gold Rush Apples