Leaves, apples, cider, oh my!
Fall is officially here and NATURE is ready to celebrate the harvest of the season! We began the conversation by discussing the lifecycle of apple trees. Apple trees are perennials, which means that the plants return each year. As the kids say, the trees go to sleep or hibernate during the winters. Perennial vegetables and fruits are very convenient because you only have to plant once and can harvest for many years. We are very lucky to live in the Boston area, since we have apple orchards and urban farms that provide us with local goodness. Kannan even taught us about an urban farm in the East Boston neighborhood!
As the kids debated on the superior apple variety, the adults cut the apples into fourths. And then the fun began! We took turns putting the fruit pieces into a fruit grinder, ensuring that the apples were squashed. This required some strength, so we but on our big boy and girl pants and got to work! After our apples were properly grinded, it was time to press the food with a fruit press. This required a little bit of origami, as we set up the blocks to make sure that all liquid from the apple is withdrawn. This was a particularly exciting part of the process, as the kids were able to circle around the fruit press. We once again had to summon our strength. And finally, after all of our hard labor, the cider was made. As the liquid came out of the fruit press, the room was filled with excitement. Because the taste of truly fresh apple cider may be strong, we began with only taking a sip of the cider. However, everyone loved it and vowed to drink cider for the rest of their lives. When asked how they would describe the taste with one word, the kids responded with “tasty,” “sweet,” “sour,” and “SO DELICIOUS.”
Happy fall and cider drinking!
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