There’s nothing quite like a glass of fresh apple cider in the fall.
It’s sweet, crisp and tastes like autumn in a bottle. But have you ever wondered what happens between an apple growing on the tree and that first sip of cider?
At Kimmel Orchard, the entire process happens right here at the orchard. From growing the apples to pressing, filtering and bottling the cider, each step brings together different apple varieties and generations of orchard tradition.
Here’s a look behind the scenes at how Kimmel Orchard apple cider is made.
It Starts in the Orchard
Great apple cider starts with great apples.
Throughout the growing season, our team cares for the apple trees that eventually produce the fruit used in our cider. Kimmel Orchard grows a variety of apples, each bringing its own flavor characteristics to the final product.
Instead of relying on just one variety, we blend different apples together during the cider-making process. Some bring sweetness, others add tartness, and together they create the flavor you know as Kimmel Orchard cider.
It all starts just steps away from where the cider will eventually be pressed and bottled.
From the Trees to the Cider Room
Once the apples are ready, they are harvested and brought into our cider room.
Before pressing begins, the apples are rinsed and sorted. From there, they travel along a conveyor belt toward the grinder.
This is where the transformation really begins.
Inside the grinder, seven rollers crush the apples, breaking them down and releasing as much juice as possible. What started as bins of whole apples quickly becomes the beginning of fresh apple cider.
Separating the Juice
After the apples have been crushed, the juice is filtered to separate it from the remaining apple pulp, also known as pomace.
But that leftover apple material doesn't necessarily go to waste.
Pomace can be incorporated into compost or used as livestock feed, giving what remains after pressing another purpose.
Meanwhile, the freshly pressed juice continues on to one of the most important parts of the process.
Keeping It Safe Without Changing the Flavor
Before our cider can be bottled, it needs to be treated to help ensure it is safe to drink.
Kimmel Orchard cider travels through a UV light chamber, where ultraviolet light helps neutralize harmful microorganisms.
Unlike processes that rely on heat, UV treatment allows us to treat the cider without heating it. That helps preserve the fresh apple flavor created by the blend of varieties grown right here at the orchard.
The result is cider that's ready for the final step: bottling.
From Our Orchard to Your Glass
Once the cider has completed the process, it is bottled and ready to enjoy.
From growing and harvesting the apples to washing, grinding, filtering, treating and bottling the cider, it all happens right here at Kimmel Orchard. That's something we're proud of!
When you pick up a bottle of Kimmel Orchard apple cider, you're enjoying more than the apples inside. You're enjoying a product connected to the trees, people, and traditions that have made this orchard what it is today.
We hope every sip reminds you of the tradition behind Kimmel.
It's fresh. It's local. And it's made right here.
Stop by Kimmel Orchard and take a little taste of the orchard home with you!
