Making Maple Syrup

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Ernest

Spring is always a busy time here at Rollins Orchards. Right now we are busy making maple syrup. Earlier this spring we hung nearly 200 buckets on maple trees around our farm. Now we are boiling the maple sap down into delicious golden maple syrup. We now have fresh maple syrup available here, as well as 10 varieties of apples, and of course our freshly pressed apple cider. We expect to have apples and cider through April.

if you are in the neighborhood stop in for a tour on Maine Maple Sunday, March 25th, from noon to 4pm we will be giving tours of our new sugarhouse, and some other aspects of the farm as well. Hope to see you soon!

Stephen Bemis stirs the fire in our sap evaporator.

Stephen Bemis stirs the fire in our sap evaporator.

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Apples and Cider make great gifts!

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Ernest

If you are stuck looking for the right gift for someone look no further. A bag of apples and a jug of our cider are a universal gift that anyone will enjoy.

We will have apples and cider right through April this year. The only orchard in this part of Maine that doesn’t close after Christmas. We hope to see you soon!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Ernest

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Rollins Orchards.

We still have a good selection of apples, and what thanksgiving table would be complete without some of our apple cider?

We will be open from 9 to 11 am on Thanksgiving day, and returning to our regular hours after.

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List of 40 varieties we grow

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

High Top Sweet
Red Astrachan
Yellow Transparent
Lodi
Early Mac
Jersey Mac
Paula Red
Summer Sweet
McIntosh (5 different strains)
Cortland (3 different strains)
Early Harvest
Bailey Sweet
Crabapples – Old Fashioned, Virginia, Whitney
Twenty Ounce
Hurlburt
Wolf River
Milding (Winter Gravenstein)
Macoun
Empire
Red Delicious
Golden Delicious
Northern Spy – Old Fashioned and Double Red
Russet- Roxbury and Golden
Greening
Tolman Sweet
Pound Sweet
Baldwin
Saint Lawrence
Nodhead
King
King David
Stark
Ben Davis
Jona Red
Snow Apple
Fallawater
Autumn Sweet
Maiden’s Blush

4 Varieties of Pears:
Clapp’s Favorite
Red Clapp
Lincoln
Bartlett

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Our Cider

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

Our passion for making the best cider begins with the equipment. Our rack and cloth cider press was built in the 1920s. While we have modernized that press with some stainless steel parts, it is still the best design to produce clear cider. The second factor for making good cider is using high quality fruit. We do not use under ripe, overripe, frozen, or decayed apples. The third element is our secret recipe which includes a mix of many varieties of apples. The flavor of the cider changes slightly from batch to batch throughout the season as all apples continually ripen.
Our cider has no additives or preservatives, nor has ever been pasteurized. Our cider can also be frozen, so that you can enjoy it during the short summer season when we are not pressing.

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Apple Cider Jelly

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

(Sherrill Libby)

4 1/2 to 5 cups sugar
4 cups unpasteurized cider (1 quart)
5 drops of red food coloring (optional)
1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin

Measure sugar and set aside. Measure cider into a large saucepan. Stir in Sure-Jell, mixing well. Bring to a hard boil over high heat, stirring constantly Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam with metal spoon, and pour quickly into glasses. Cover at once with 1/8′ hot paraffin or seal with dome lid and ring.

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Spiced Crabapples

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

1 gallon crabapples, blossom ends removed
(about 1/2 peck)
1 quart vinegar (4 cups)
1 pint water (2 cups)
8 cups sugar
Spices in muslin bag:
1 tbsp. each cinnamon and ground cloves
1 tsp. each nutmeg and allspice

Heat liquids with spice bag to boiling and cool. Add crabapples and just simmer until tender. Let stand overnight or at least several hours. Pack apples into jars. Boil syrup until thickened. Cook and pour over apples. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes about 8 pints.

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Spiced Crabapple Jelly

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

(Lizzie Howell Hoyt)

4 quarts crabapples, cut in half
(about 1/2 peck – 8 cups)
1 ounce whole cloves
1 ounce whole cinnamon

Cover with equal parts water and vinegar (about 3 cups of each). Cook until apples are soft. Strain overnight or at least several hours. Measure juice as adding to saucepan, adding 3/4 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Boil hard, uncovered, in small amounts (no more than 8 cups of juice at a time). Boil until it sheets from a spoon about 20 to 30 minutes.

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MAINE HARVEST FESTIVAL

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ernest

Join us at the Maine Harvest Festival at the Bangor Auditorium on Saturday November 12 and Sunday November 13.

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Maine Harvest Festival

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Ernest

Come and visit our booth at the Maine Harvest Festival November 12 and 13, 2011. We will be selling our cider and apples from our booth on the floor of the Bangor Auditorium. Visit maineharvestfestival.com for more information!

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