Pressed for Cider

Our 2020 season starts Sunday October 4th

2020 is a year I’m sure nobody will forget. We will be pressing, but just starting a little later than usual. If your apples are coming ripe keep them in a dry dark and cool place. This should keep them for about 2 weeks. Then we hope you will come press with us. Thanks!!

 Pressed for Cider, custom apple pressing offers not only a way for you to get your apples pressed but a great way to enjoy a fall weekend and celebrate the bounty of the harvest season. Bring a picnic and enjoy the farm while you’re here! We are located at New Beat Farm, an organic vegetable, flower and sheep farm in the heart of Waldo County. We custom press apples for individuals, cider clubs and commercial cider makers by appointment September through November. 

Fresh Cider! Our cider is for sale off the farm, New Beat Farm’s  Winter CSA and at the United Farmers Market in Belfast.

Pressed for Cider in the News!

Bangor Daily News – Turn your apples into fresh cider at new Knox business
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff • October 12, 2017.

Penobscot Bay Pilot – Cold off the press: a new apple press business opens in Knox, Maine. Posted: Friday, October 6th, 2017.

 

Pressed for Cider at New Beat Farm in Knox, Maine is pressing fresh cider in our state-inspected cider pressing room.   Our 2020 season begins Mid – September.

Pressing by appointment only.  Sunday’s are the best days.  Use our contact form to sign up.

 

 

Who is Pressed for Cider… Debi Stephens has had for years a vision of offering custom apple and other fruit products using her antique Palmer apple press.  Ken Lamson and Adrienne Lee of New Beat Farm have been organic farming for many years.  Debi met Ken and Adrienne at the annual Frye Mountain Heritage Tours and realized they had common interests in organic farming.  Over a glass of cider they started to plan, and with much encouragement from others, established Pressed for Cider.

Many people have helped us along the way, like Laura Silvia who came up with our name Pressed for Cider, all the people who are allowing us to manage their orchards, and in particular Debi’s husband, dad, and brother who helped restore the Palmer press. There are too many kind and generous friends to name who have helped us on our journey.  Thanks to all and cider is on its way!!

Two of our favorite apples are the Liberty and the Spigold.

The Liberty – Recommended for single-variety sweet cider.  A medium-sized round-conic bluish-pinkish-red apple with crisp, white flesh of very good dessert quality when really ripe. An excellent cooking and sweet cider apple!

 

The Spigold – Good for cider and ideal for fresh eating and baking.  A medium-to-large sized, bright golden apple with gorgeous red striping.  Flesh is crisp with a delicate flavor and delightful aftertaste.  Said to be a superior, more complex, offspring of its Golden Delicious and Northern Spy parentage.

 

Helpful Links

UMAINE Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits

Fedco-Seeds

US Apple Association

We offer custom pressing to those who want to create their own special blend of sweet or hard cider.  This is done by appointment only, contact form.

There is a 5-bushel minimum:
We need to know the number of bushels before we make your appointment in order to keep to our schedule.

To help measure, use bushel baskets or fill 10 paper grocery bags with Apples or Pears. This is roughly 5 bushels / about 15  gallons of delicious cider.

Containers and Pricing:
With your clean containers a gallon is $2.00.  With our new plastic half and whole gallon jugs with snap tops, gallons are $2.65 and half gallons are $1.85.

Please let us know if you plan to freeze your cider. We will leave headroom in the containers to allow for expansion.  Frozen cider stores easily for 6 months.

Quality and Condition:
We are a pesticide-free press.  Apples & Pears will be inspected before pressing, and only clean sound fruit will be accepted.  The fruit will be washed with our orchard brusher/washer prior to pressing.

There should be no leaves or twigs on fruit.  Please, no drops, this is due to Maine regulations and the potential danger of bacteria growth.

Our fruit or yours:
Pears add a great flavor when added to your Apple Cider.

We will have our own Apples, Pears, and sometimes Crabapples, available for an additional cost.

Please come on time or a little early:
We may have many people scheduled in a day.  Arriving 15 minutes early for your appointment would be appreciated.

Wholesale:
Please use our Contacts form for rates and arrangements.

Children, Family, and Friends:
Plan a picnic or just enjoy the view while your apples are being pressed. We will enjoy watching and listening to you as you take that first taste of your very own cider.

Please, no dogs.