CIDER producers, artisans and apple experts spent the weekend crushing locally-grown apples in a traditional cider press at Hamptonne country life museum.
Rudi the horse took centre stage in the cider barn as visitors enjoyed a spectacle that used to be commonplace around the Island.
La Faîs’sie d’Cidre has become a highlight of the Hamptonne calendar when the community can celebrate Jersey’s rich heritage of apple growing and cider production.
The press was particularly busy this year as it has been a bumper crop for apples.
As well as cider making, Jersey Heritage organised entertainment and activities including cabbage loaf making and crafts for the children, accompanied by live music and Morris dancing.
Visitors were also able to enjoy a selection of local foods, as well as cider from La Robeline and CAMRA.
There were also goods produced by Genuine Jersey stallholders.
Community events organiser Nicola Lucas said: ‘This event just gets better and better.
‘There really is something for everyone.’
THE ages-old rural tradition of making black butter was kept alive at the weekend when the Jersey Young Farmers Club took over the press house at Les Prés Manor in Grouville.
After picking half a ton of apples from orchards all over the Island, and spending evenings last week peeling the fruit, at 3.45 am on Saturday members lit the fire in the old granite fireplace to begin the process.
First gallons of fresh cider were reduced and then finely chopped apples, and other ingredients including lemons, spices and liquorice, were added, following an old farmhouse recipe.
The young farmers took it in turns to stir the mix constantly until early Sunday morning, when the bâchin (large pan) was taken off the fire and left to cool.
Sarah Richardson, who is married to the club’s president, Alex, said: ‘I think it is really important and a good thing for the Island community to see what the Jersey Young Farmers Club and the National Trust do to keep to keep the tradition of black-butter making going in the traditional way.’
By Sunday, after snatching a few hours’ sleep, the young farmers were back to put the thick black preserve into 400 half-pint jars to be sold to raise money for the club.
The National Trust for Jersey will be making butter from Thursday to Saturday at The Elms in St Mary.
- Black butter (le nièr beurre) is a preserve made from apples for spreading on bread.
- Its production starts on an autumn or winter evening – known as a black butter night.
- Traditionally, a large group of neighbours or family members would join the farmer’s wife the day before, peeling and slicing a large quantity of apples.
- The apples are then put into la piêle, a huge brass preserving pan with a capacity of ten gallons. It was set up on a tripod and a fire lit beneath.
- A gallon of cider is then poured into the pan for every 70lb of apples, as well as sugar, lemon and spices to give the mixture its distinctive flavour.
- Traditionally, every farmers wife would have her own individual recipe.
- The cider is kept simmering all day and the apples are added in the evening. From then onwards, two or three men have to stir the mixture, non-stop, with a moueux, a wooden rake.
