Why isn’t your cider pasteurized?

Pasteurization of cider was implemented in the USA due to the danger from ecoli, related to farm animals grazing the orchard and apples picked off the ground. This is why we don’t use drop apples in our process – only those apples selected based on their ripeness right off the tree. And we offer cider in its most natural form – freshly squeezed apples. That’s it. Sanitation and disinfecting of our equipment is taken seriously, and we are proud to offer the purest tasting cider around.  

Do you offer school tours?

Yes! Although with COVID19, please note this may require some extra planning and flexibility. Please reach out to info@alberorchard.com for any questions on school tours. Include date range interested, ages of the group, and if any specific activity requests.

Do you offer U-Pick?

If you walk the property at Alber Orchard & Cider Mill, you’ll note we have some very big apple trees! These trees have been here for 100s of years, and they are what you call an heirloom apple tree. This means that to pick the apples, we use very old ladders that we are able to place appropriately between the branches in order to pick the apple. Apple growths are quite fragile, and since our trees are very old, we prefer to pick them for you to try and allow apples to keep growing in these spots. At this time, no u-pick at Alber Orchard.

What’s an heirloom apple?

Heirloom apples by definition are apples that have been passed down for generations. Alber Orchard & Cider Mill started in 1890, and has grown in number of trees with a process such as grafting. When the orchard began its existence, the USA had over 10,000 kinds of apples. However, over time, we have lost some of these varieties as they became extinct. These apples typically have a rich heritage and special notes of flavor, textures, and traits you don’t find in the popular commercially farmed varieties. This is why it’s so important to us to take care of the existing trees, they have literally been around for over 100 years!

How often do you press cider? Is it open to the public?

Cider making for the Fall 2021 Season will begin September 18th. How often we make cider truly depends on supply and demand. Usually the early pressings will have a tarter flavor, and less body. While we get deeper into the harvest season, you’ll notice the color becomes darker and the flavor a bit more sweet. Our hydraulic press is still in action – and we have viewing windows to catch the cider making process. However, with COVID19, we will have restrictions in place for the number of visitors in the building at a time. This will limit the viewings for the season. Typically we press cider Thursday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday. If you are interested in catching a squeeze, please call us to confirm when we are pressing (the times may change due to equipment variables, etc.)