Shane Rine spreads apple mash before it's turned into cider at Sally's Cider Press in Harmony. The old presses exert more than 2,000 pounds of pressure to squeeze juice from the crushed apples.

Bushel by bushel, apples crash into the steel bin of Sally's Cider Press, and with the flip of a switch, the machine comes to life. Within minutes, the apples are scrubbed, crushed and pressed into fresh apple cider, which then gushes into stainless steel holding tanks and is poured into jugs for customers to enjoy.

Metrick's Harvest View Farm and Market in Connoquenessing Township and Sally's Cider Press in Harmony both put this season's abundant harvest to good use using vintage cider presses.

Customers bring their own apples to feed into the room-sized presses, which are becoming less common, said Kenneth Metrick, owner of Harvest View Farm and Market.

Most cider is now made by large companies rather than small farmers, he said."In the northern part of the county, I don't know of anyone," said Metrick.New presses are still manufactured but cost thousands of dollars, making them cost-prohibitive for many, he added.Another factor is that there are fewer small-scale orchards, said Shane Rine of Harmony, son-in-law of Sally and Tom Davis, owners of Sally's Cider Press."It's a dying business because apple orchards are being developed," said Rine. "That probably caused a lot of the little presses to shut down.""It's a lot easier to sell your property than to grow an orchard," Sally Davis added.Still, she estimates 80 percent of their pressing business comes from people with just a handful of apple trees.<BR><B>Growing</B>Pennsylvania's apple season typically runs from late August to mid-November, but this season ran ahead of schedule, said Karin Rodriguez, executive director of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program."This year, we're very early, a week to 10 days early on most varieties," she said.The harvest began in early August and has not slowed.

"Every year is different," she said, adding weather can affect the fruit's flavor. "Hot dry weather tends to produce a sweeter piece of fruit because the sugars develop better — so this year's harvest should be excellent."Because of diverse climate and soil conditions, hundreds of varieties thrive in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania is the fourth largest apple producer in the United States, producing about 11 million bushels — or 440 million pounds — each year."The rolling hills are great for growing apples and the cooler air drains off the hillside," said Rodriguez. "It's really nice to have apple orchards sit on hilly areas, which we have a lot of in Pennsylvania."Cider apples should be in good shape, with no bruises or broken skin, said Sally Davis, since the blemishes can cause bacteria to grow more quickly in the finished product."If you wouldn't eat an apple, don't make cider with it," said Sally Davis.Between three and five gallons of cider can be pressed from a bushel of apples, Metrick said. He charges $1.35 a gallon for pressed cider, container included, while the Davises charge $1.25 a gallon, plus 50 cents per container (customers can bring their own)."At their peak, you can get over four (gallons) and I've gotten close to five out of a bushel," Metrick said. "Later in the season, the apples tend to dry out." A bushel of apples weighs a little more than 40 pounds.

The cider presses owned by the Metrick and Davis families operate in a similar way.Apples are dumped into the machine and washed before traveling up an elevator to reach a hammer mill that processes the raw apples into a paste."You'll get a much better tasting cider with a mixture," said Metrick, who uses a blend of McIntosh, Gala, Ginger Gold, Jonagold and Empire apples.After the fruit is chopped into something resembling chunky applesauce, it drops through a chute and onto a rough cloth on top of the pressing rack. Cider makers wrap the cloths over the apple pulp and place another rack on top. Both presses typically use about six layers per batch of cider, depending on how many apples are used.More than 2,000 pounds of pressure squeeze the juice from the crushed apples. The juice is then piped into stainless steel holding tanks.The leftover pumice, which looks like dry sawdust, can be spread over fields or used for animal feed.Purchased from a neighbor about eight years ago, Metrick's lineshaft-driven press was built in Hooker in the 1880s.

"I've been familiar with this press for a long time, since I was a little boy," said Metrick, the fifth owner of the apparatus. "I never thought that someday I would own it."Since its purchase, the machine has not required any major repairs, Metrick said. "The main thing is good maintenance," he added.The Davises' hydraulic press is about 100 years old and has been in its current location since 1949, said Tom Davis.The family purchased the property about 35 years ago and has operated the press ever since."We've tried to put in as much stainless steel as possible," said Sally Davis, noting the material is more sanitary than the original wood.They also upgraded to a more modern hydraulic system, but that has not taken away from the charm of the press."We've had a lot of happy years here," Sally Davis said.So has Larrie Lefever of Connoquenssing, a longtime customer of the Davises."If you ever use one of those hand presses, it takes six hours to get a gallon," he said after emptying about 10 bushels of apples from his property into the machine. "Today, I was expecting about 30 gallons but I got a little more than that."<BR><BR>

In general, cider refers to the raw, unfiltered beverage. Processes such as pasteurization in which the liquid is heated and immediately cooled, some believe, make that filtered beverage a juice and not a true cider.But apple cider sold in the United States is required to be sanitized through pasteurization, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or other proven method. The only exceptions are sales made directly to consumers by producers.Pasteurization slows microbial growth. Most peoples' immune systems can fight off such bacteria, but those in at-risk groups such as young children or the elderly should avoid unprocessed products, according to the Food and Drug Administration's guidelines.Since Metrick does not produce cider for outside vendors, he is not required by law to pasteurize. Because it is unpasteurized, Metrick's cider bears a warning label."(Customers) can bring their own apples but we do not pasteurize, so it has to be for their own families. They cannot sell it," Metrick explained.Because the Davises make cider for other vendors to sell, the law requires their product to be pasteurized or sanitized by UV light.According to Metrick and the Davises, it is generally agreed that pasteurization alters the flavor of the cider."If it's not done right, your cider won't have the flavor it should have," Metrick said. "As far as the real, old-fashioned apple cider, you're never going to beat nonpasteurized cider."Because apple cider is preservative-free, it lasts from 10 days to two weeks when refrigerated.If frozen, it can last about a year, said Metrick, who freezes between 15 and 20 gallons for his family."It tastes pretty good by Easter," he said with a smile.There's no reason to keep cider for more than a year because it's best fresh, he said."It's really smooth and sweet after it's made," he said. "You can't beat it."

Larrie Lefever of Connoquenessing dumps his apples into the press at Sally's Cider Press in Harmony. He brought about 10 bushels, whichproduced more than 30 gallons of cider.

Jim Kristophel of Sally's Cider Press samples some of the goods. Owner Sally Davis estimates that 80 percent of her pressing business comes from people who have just a handful of apple trees.

Ken Metrick shows the workings of the cider press at his Harvest View Farm and Market in Connoquenessing Township. The press was made in Hooker more than 100 years ago. Metrick is the fifthowner of the machine. He acquired it from a neighbor about eight years ago and said it hasn't required anymajor repairs. Good maintenance is key, he said.

Owner Sally Davis checks the apples in the bins in the cooler at Sally's Cider Press. Customers bring in their own apples to feed into the old, room-sized press. Such small operations are becoming less common.