When making cider, what do you do with the solids that are left?

**Terri** · #1 07/30/08, 12:48 PM

I have a bumper crop of apples on the trees.

I figure that I can use my old food processor to grind the apples, and to press the juice I can punch a hole in the bottom of a very large empty can, place a bag full of ground apples in it, and press down using a smaller can.

It just seems wastefull to throw away all of the apple solids after they have been squeezed, and 5 chickens cannot eat it all!

Any suggestions as to what to do with many gallons of apple solids?

Common Tator · #2 07/30/08, 01:30 PM

Horses, Goats. making cider vinegar, compost......

MullersLaneFarm · #3 07/30/08, 01:32 PM

Cows, horses, pigs....

Forerunner · #4 07/30/08, 01:53 PM

We pack the solids into 55 gallon plastic drums with sealable ring lids and let the whole mass go to vinegar. Sealing isn't necessary until the fermenting process is complete, if vinegar is the goal. At worst, if packed well, the mass makes a beautiful silage for, as directed above, goats, cows, pigs, etc.
To make the best silage, one would want to seal the barrel completely at filling time to prevent air exchange.
It doesn't take the critters long to get their fill, especially chickens and pigs, though the cows will gladly eat too much if allowed to.
It makes an excellent winter addition to an animals' rations, and, once the process is complete, you might be surprised how much liquid settles out of the supposedly well-squeezed pomace. The resultant vinegar, if extra care and filtering are applied, is quite agreeable with use in the kitchen.

If added to the compost pile, mix well with higher carbon materials and manure, adding gypsum, lime or bonemeal if you have it to offset the high acid content of apple pomace. If you have a large enough mass and it heats well, the pomace will compost fairly quickly when well mixed with other materials. If you haven't other materials to mix with, or if the pile is very small, allow extra time for the pomace to break down, and then figure on adding that particular batch to the more acid-loving portion of the garden.

LisaInN.Idaho · #5 07/30/08, 02:53 PM

I wouldn't feed much of it to horses and definitely not if the solids have started fermenting. Good way to start a bad case of colic.

fretti · #6 07/30/08, 03:02 PM

Having never made cider, I don't know is this is possible but what about making apple butter? Are there enough solids left for that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

We pack the solids into 55 gallon plastic drums with sealable ring lids and let the whole mass go to vinegar. ...The resultant vinegar, if extra care and filtering are applied, is quite agreeable with use in the kitchen..

That would be great for any use but not for canning. You need to have a 5% solution and that can't be guaranteed with homemade vinegar.

Forerunner · #7 07/30/08, 06:46 PM

Agreed.

Homemade vinegar is generally far stronger than that which one might purchase commercially. Given poor conditions, however, that can swing just as far in the other direction, as well.

sugarbush · #8 07/30/08, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretti

That would be great for any use but not for canning. You need to have a 5% solution and that can't be guaranteed with homemade vinegar.

Can if you buy a hydrometer.

Deer like the leftovers if baiting is legal in your state. If you know anybody who hunts just give them away rather than messing with them.

cider · #9 07/30/08, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaInN.Idaho

I wouldn't feed much of it to horses and definitely not if the solids have started fermenting. Good way to start a bad case of colic.

Lisa is right. Our neighbor gave a bunch of our cider pomace to his cows and they got pretty sick. I think he called it scours. You get the picture.

jross · #10 07/30/08, 08:27 PM

Makes great deer bait, but they are hard to hit when they start to stagger. The farmer that sold cider around here sold the pressings for deer bait. Game wardens loved it because before baiting here became legal they could smell it from a long ways upwind.

grannyclampett · #11 07/30/08, 09:35 PM

Could you spread it on a dehydrater and do something with it that way?

**Terri** · #12 07/30/08, 10:16 PM

Well, I have no livestock other than chickens.

I CAN use a few gallons of vinegar, if only for cleaning. I sometimes use lime away but I prefer vinegar as I think it is safer.

I bet I can get the strength of the vinegar up if I add a little sugar.

I can dehydrate, also. If I get good fruit leather, good. If not, the chickens can have it this winter.

I have made fruit butter, but nobody ate it past the first taste. It tasted just like fruit butter should: the family just did not like fruit butter!