This past week I went up to the Northwest Agriculture Business Center with my baby brother to learn the science behind making a delicious hard cider. I have been brain storming of ways to diversify the orchard and have had requests from our customers wondering if we make hard cider at Mt. View. I adore hard cider and order it often when out to dinner because it is the perfect drink. Its refreshing, tastes like you are drinking an apple and is slightly sweet.
At Mt. View Orchards happy customers are our biggest accomplishment and we hope to be able to make and sell hard cider one day to share with you all. One thing that was rather sobering was the amount of cost it really takes to get all the equipment and to get up to code before you can get your product to your store. But I imagine, with some strategic saving and planning that one day this dream will become a reality. I have always been a big believer in dreams that are seemly impossible.
Dr. Peter Mitchell was our enthusiastic and world renowned professor. He has won many gold medals on his stellar hard ciders and was truly a delight to listen to. He has a wealth of experience and has been making and instructing for over 30 years. I am very much inspired to take a field trip next year to visit his cidery in England. I also have the goal of wanting to try a different hard cider every week to get better at sensory analysis. I found out that I have an above average nose and could distinguish many different types of esters and phenolics. There were many smells that I could read immediately and one off putting smell that tastes like a mouse or rodent that I could differentiate in a millisecond after putting it into my mouth. This gave me the nick name the "mouser" because I have quite the olfactory gift. Also quite the gag reflex but thats another story all together.
Spending a week away from the farm and learning a new skill was truly a gift and I am so grateful for the opportunity and to spend some time also with my brother, Ryan. A win/win indeed. No one makes me laugh harder that this guy. Royight? Happy to be back on the Orchard today and am excited to see what my little 3.5 liter container of cider will produce in 3 short weeks after fermentation has worked its magic. Ryan's blending team won the competition and he seems to have some natural gifting when it comes to blending cider after its been made. Well done Ryan! I just added nutrients to my take home cider yesterday and its bubbling away. Happy Holidays friends and family, love your grateful farmer. (Ps. Mulled Cider is favorite on the farm this time of year and here is a link to a recipe I enjoy. Cheers)